Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - The House of Delegates has voted to make it a crime to protest or "picket" near the homes of court officials with the intent to intimidate. The bill is a direct response to protests in Virginia last year near the homes of U.S. Supreme Court Justices, following the leaking of the opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade.
The crime would be a Class 1 misdemeanor, which could mean jail time of up to a year. The bill would still need to pass the State Senate, which just Thursday killed a number of abortion restrictions.
During the protests last year, Fairfax County officials said they felt setting up "checkpoints" around the homes of justices infringed on First Amendment rights.
