Md. County Can't Enforce Full Pregnancy Clinic Law
GREENBELT, Md. (AP) -- A federal judge has ruled that a portion of a Maryland county law targeting pro-life pregnancy clinics with signage requirements cannot be enforced.
Officials in Montgomery County passed a law last year that requires pregnancy clinics without licensed medical staff to post a sign. The law requires the sign to note the absence of medical staff and say that the county encourages pregnant women to consult with a licensed medical provider.
Federal Judge Deborah Chasanow ruled Tuesday in a written opinion that the county cannot enforce the latter part of the law while a legal challenge goes forward. Lawyers for the Alliance Defense Fund, a conservative legal group, challenged the law on behalf of a pregnancy clinic that does not provide birth control or abortions, saying it was unconstitutional.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
