| Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Argued October 16, 1991 Reargued October 6, 1992 Decided January 13, 1993 | |
| Full case name | Jayne Bray, et al., Petitioners v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic, et al. |
| Citations | 506 U.S. 263 (more) 113 S. Ct. 753; 122 L. Ed. 2d 34; 1993 U.S. LEXIS 833; 61 U.S.L.W. 4080; 93 Cal. Daily Op. Service 258; 93 Daily Journal DAR 583 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | National Organization for Women v. Operation Rescue, 726 F. Supp. 1483 (E.D. Va. 1989), affirmed, 914 F.2d 582 (4th Cir. 1990); cert. granted, 498 U.S. 1119 (1991). |
| Holding | |
| The first clause of 1985(3) does not provide a federal cause of action against persons obstructing access to abortion clinics. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Scalia, joined by Rehnquist, White, Kennedy, Thomas |
| Concurrence | Kennedy |
| Concur/dissent | Souter |
| Dissent | Stevens, joined by Blackmun |
| Dissent | O'Connor, joined by Blackmun |
| Laws applied | |
Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic, 506 U.S. 263 (1993)[1] is a United States Supreme Court case in which the court held that Section 1985(3)[2] of The Civil Rights Act of 1871 does not provide a federal cause of action against persons obstructing access to abortion clinics. Alexandria Health Clinic, along with several other abortion clinics, sued to prevent Jayne Bray and other anti-abortion protesters from blocking the entrance to clinics in Washington D.C.
Alexandria Women's Health Clinic claimed that the protesters violated Section 1985 of The Civil Rights Act of 1871, which prohibits two or more people on a highway or other premises from depriving “any person or class of persons of the equal protection of the laws, or of equal privileges and immunities under the laws.”