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Anti-abortionists found guilty under racketeering law A federal jury found that 21 acts of extortion were used to shut down clinics By Mike Robinson The Associated Press CHICAGO — In an unusual use of a racketeering law de signed to fight the mob, a federal jury ruled Monday that anti-abor tion protest organizers used threats and violence to shut down clinics — a verdict that could cost the movement mil lions. Although the abortion foes were ordered to pay only about $258,000, the class-action ruling opened the door for more claims by as many as 1,000 clinics across the country. “This is the biggest courtroom defeat for the anti-abortion move ment ever,” declared Fay Clay ton, an attorney for the National Organization for Women, which filed the lawsuit in 1986. Defense attorneys said they will appeal. The jury found that anti-abor tion activist Joseph Scheidler and two associates, Timothy Murphy and Andrew Scholberg, engaged in 21 acts of extortion to shut down clinics. The jury also found that two anti-abor tion organizations, the Pro-Life Action League and Operation Rescue, were part of the scheme. The jury ordered the three ac tivists and two organizations to pay $85,926.92 in damages, which will be tripled under the racketeering law. The damages were awarded to abortion clinics in Milwau kee and Wilmington, Del., for security measures required after violence flared outside their doors. But a number of other clinics intend to file for class action damages under the ver dict. “They want to bankrupt us — there’s no question about that,” said Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League. A turning point in the case came in 1994 when the U.S. Supreme Court reversed lower court rulings and gave NOW per mission to refile the lawsuit un der the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. It was the first nationwide class-action lawsuit ever filed against the anti-abortion movement under RICO. Congress passed the law in 1970 as a weapon against orga nized crime, but in recent years businesses have also become tar gets of its civil provisions. Defense attorney Tom Brejcha said that RICO never should have been used in the case. “RICO is terribly flawed, vague and over broad,” he said. Abortion-rights forces won a lawsuit several years ago against blockade organizers under the RICO act in Philadelphia. But Clayton said that verdict was mi nor by comparison. U.S. District Judge David Coar scheduled a hearing for Wednes day at which he is expected to discuss a court order to curb vio lence at clinics. Coar barred abortion-rights at torneys from introducing evi dence that they claimed would tie the defendants to more than a decade of bombings and ar sons at clinics around the coun try. But he allowed them to tell jurors of doctors and patients being grabbed, pushed, struck with protest signs and threat ened. Scheidler and his co-defen dants denied encouraging vio lence, saying they couldn’t help the excesses of a few individu als. “We wanted to come out as a legitimate force in America and not as racketeers,” Scheidler said. “There is no honor in being a racketeer and we’re not racke teers.” Feminists were elated by the decision. “A jury of six men and women saw through the thugs’ shameless attempt to pervert the First Amendment,” NOW President Patricia Ireland said. Medical marijuana club closed down in San Francisco A sheriff served the court sanctioned order to shut down the club, hut said he opposes it By Richard Cole Ttie Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — A reluc tant sheriff shut down San Fran cisco’s largest medical marijuana club Monday, as organizers wait ed in the wings to reopen under another name. San Francisco Sheriff Mike Hennessey served Cannabis Cultivators Club founder Dennis Peron with an order to close down the operation shortly after 1 p.m. and ordered the building vacated. Peron and his follow ers cooperated peacefully. Hennessey made it clear he personally opposed the court order initiated by state Attor ney General Dan Lungren, whom Peron is opposing in a David vs. Goliath campaign in the Republican gubernatorial primary. “I support the medicinal mari juana law in the state of Califor nia, and it does seem this is an at tempt to thwart that law,” Hennessey said. The sheriff also said he would not move against the club's suc cessor agency, the Cannabis Healing Center, which was open ing under a new director at the same site. “That has nothing to do with this court order,” Hennessey said. Peron started the club four years ago and was a prime mover “34 years of Quality Service” Mercedes • BMW • Volkswagen • Audi German Auto Service • MERCEDES • BMW • VOLKSWAGEN • 001721 342-2912 • 2025 Franklin Blvd. Eugene, Oregon, 97402 prar NEED MONEY? Plasma donations earn around $130 every month. $15 on 1st donation - $25 on 2nd donation! Bring in this ad for an additional $2.00 We need your help! J-Mar Biologicals a Seramed BioCenter 1 Block east of 8th and Garfield 1901 West 8th Ave., Eugene wmi r»wc.# i 683-9430 abo at 229 B Main St. In Springfield behind the successful 1996 drive for the state’s medicinal marijua na initiative. Monday, he emerged from the club with his belongings — including a pot plant — packed in a cardboard box. To shouts of “Peron! Peron!” from about 75 supporters, the sometimes emotional activist said it was time for him to move on. "It’s been an honor to lead you into a more loving and compas sionate society, and it’s very sad for me to have this moment in my life,” Peron said. Customers of the club were re lieved that the new cannabis cen ter was opening apparently un molested but bitter about the attempt to shut it down. “Dennis Peron helped me keep 17 people alive this year,” said an angry Houston Broglin. “Pot makes AIDS patients eat. If you take this away, then you actually put a lot of people in the ground.” A client who identified him self as Billy emphasized the posi tive by noting that the new center was opening. “All praise to God. It’s still here,” Billy said. “This is history in the making.” Peron noted that he had be gun his involvement with the marijuana issue as an AIDS ac tivist. “I started it for AIDS patients, and then cancer patients came to me, and I said, ‘Sure,’” Peron said. "Then glaucoma patients came to me, and then other sick people came to me, and I began to realize this was a bigger prob lem.” The court order to close down the club was based on pot sales to providers, rather than directly to patients. Peron called the issue a technicality that Lungren had seized on, but took responsibility for the er ror. “When I started this, there was no roadmap. Maybe I made some mistakes along the way. Who knew you couldn’t sell to care givers?” he said. The new Cannabis Healing Center is run by Hazel Rodgers and is posted with notices that pot can be sold only to patients and not caregivers. It's also covered with “Peron for Governor” posters, pins and bumper stickers. Oregon Daily Summer 1998 We are now accepting applications for the summer term. Editor will lead staff responsible for all bi-weekly issues published during summer term plus our annual Law School and Fall term “Back to the Books” orientation issues. • Qualifications: Must be UO student enrolled for at least two of three terms during the 1997-98 academic year. Need not be enrolled during summer term. • Dates of employment: June 9 - Sept. 18. Term is preceded by orientation period from May 13 to June 8 during which you will hire staff and work with current editor-in-chief. • Paid position: Editor receives a salary of $950 per month plus benefits. Pick up a job description and application materials in the ODE office (300 EMU) or check our web site (click “Employment”) at www.uoregon.edu/~ode. Don’t delay! Deadline is May 1 and the new editor will be selected May 12. The Oregon Daily Emerald is an equal opportunity employer committed to a culturally diverse workplace.
