West Coast pro-life leader Walter Hoye, who served a jail term for peaceful demonstrations at a California abortion clinic, has lost another round in court -- but that's not the last word.
Pastor Hoye challenged the Oakland ordinance against protestors, declaring it violates his right to free speech. The federal court rejected that argument -- so the case is being appealed to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court in essence ruled that abortion clinic workers can say what they want, but Hoye cannot. (See earlier article) Attorney Katie Short of Life Legal Defense Foundation tells OneNewsNow she believes the higher court will see through the ruling. "You know, when it gets down to [the court ruling] that Walter can't say "May I talk to you about alternatives to the clinic?" -- but the [clinic] escorts can say "Don't listen to him, hurry into the clinic. It's your right to have an abortion"...they're just not going to allow that to stand," says Short. It is a matter of free speech, she explains. Meanwhile, Hoye is waiting for a decision in a companion case in state court. "The D.A. is seeking to have a permanent order keeping him a hundred yards away from the clinic," Short explains. "That issue has not been resolved yet. Right now he is free to go to the clinic -- he's just, I would say, very constricted in what he can do while he's there without running afoul of the law." While Hoye was in jail, he organized Bible studies and led several inmates to Christ.
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