WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear from a faith-based pregnancy center in New Jersey challenging a state investigation into whether it misled people into thinking its services included referrals for abortion.
The justices agreed to consider an appeal from First Choice Women's Resource Centers, which wants to block a 2023 subpoena from Democratic New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin seeking information about the crisis pregnancy center's donors, advertisements and medical personnel. It has not yet been enforced.
The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case nearly three years after overturning abortion as a nationwide right. Since then, most Republican-controlled states have started enforcing new bans or restrictions, and most Democrat-dominated ones have sought to protect abortion access.
Attorneys for First Choice Women's Resource Centers had described the organization as a ''faith-based, pro-life pregnancy center.'' Crisis pregnancy centers generally try to steer women facing an unwanted pregnancy away from choosing an abortion.
The group challenged the subpoena in federal court, but a judge found that the case wasn't yet far enough along to weigh in. An appeals court agreed.
First Choice Women's Resource Centers appealed to the Supreme Court, saying the push for donor information had chilled its First Amendment rights.
Meanwhile, Platkin has sought to enforce the subpoena in state court, but the judge there has so far refused the state's push to require the group to turn over documents and told the two sides to negotiate instead.
Platkin, who had urged the justices to pass on the case, said the organization has long refused to answer questions about its operations and potential misrepresentations about reproductive health care.
