Supreme Court: Pregnancy Center Subpoena Case
- The Supreme Court will review a dispute between New Jersey and First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, a faith-based crisis pregnancy center.The court's decision puts on hold New Jersey's...
- At issue is a 2023 subpoena from New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, a Democrat, seeking information on First Choice's donors, medical staff, and marketing practices.
- the legal challenge centers on whether First Choice prematurely sued to block the subpoena. A federal district judge and an appeals court previously sided with the state, finding...
the Supreme Court will decide a crucial case involving a New Jersey crisis pregnancy center, First Choice, and a subpoena issued by Attorney General Matthew Platkin.At the heart of the matter is whether the state can compel the center to release information regarding its operations, donors, and marketing practices. The legal battle centers on the timing of the challenge to the subpoena, not its validity, as First Choice, with locations across New Jersey, asserts its First amendment rights are at stake. This follows the overturning of Roe v. Wade, highlighting a divergence in state policies on abortion. News Directory 3 brings you this developing story—stay informed. Discover what’s next …
Supreme Court to Hear NJ Crisis Pregnancy Center Subpoena Case
Updated June 17, 2025
The Supreme Court will review a dispute between New Jersey and First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, a faith-based crisis pregnancy center.The court’s decision puts on hold New Jersey’s investigation into whether First Choice misled the public regarding abortion referrals.
At issue is a 2023 subpoena from New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, a Democrat, seeking information on First Choice’s donors, medical staff, and marketing practices. First Choice, which operates in five New Jersey locations, has resisted complying, arguing the request infringes on its First Amendment rights.
the legal challenge centers on whether First Choice prematurely sued to block the subpoena. A federal district judge and an appeals court previously sided with the state, finding the challenge was not yet ripe for review.
The case arrives nearly three years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Since then,states have sharply diverged on abortion policy,with some enacting bans and others codifying abortion rights.
Alliance Defending Freedom, representing First Choice, argues that Platkin is targeting the center due to its pro-life stance. They describe First Choice as providing free services like parenting classes and ultrasounds.
Many crisis pregnancy centers, some using the word ”choice” in their names, have emerged nationwide as 2022. These centers aim to dissuade pregnant women from seeking abortions.
New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act carries notable penalties for entities that mislead the public by concealing or omitting material facts.
First Choice’s website features a prompt for those “considering an abortion,” directing them to information about abortion pills, procedures, and options in New Jersey.
Platkin maintains the subpoena is lawful and necesary to ensure First choice complies with state laws.He asserts that nonprofits, including crisis pregnancy centers, cannot deceive residents.
“first choice—a crisis pregnancy center operating in New Jersey—has for years refused to answer questions about their operations in New Jersey and the potential misrepresentations they have been making,including about reproductive healthcare,” Platkin said.
“New Jersey’s attorney general is targeting First Choice — a ministry that provides parenting classes, free ultrasounds, baby clothes, and more to its community—simply as of its pro-life views,” said attorney Erin hawley.
What’s next
The Supreme Court will hear arguments this fall.