Washington D.C., Jan 24, 2005 / 22:00 pm
The Supreme Court declined yesterday to consider a case about whether some states may offer license plates with pro-life messages, reported the Associated Press.
As a result, justices have let stand a lower court ruling that South Carolina's license plates, with the slogan "Choose Life," are unconstitutional.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Richmond, Va., ruled that they violate the First Amendment because abortion rights supporters were not given a similar forum to express their beliefs. The 4th Circuit’s jurisdiction also includes Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
Since 2001, South Carolina drivers could purchase the pro-life plates for $70, and all revenue was directed toward local crisis pregnancy programs. But the Supreme Court’s deferral means that South Carolina will either have to eliminate the “Choose Life” plates or begin offering plates with pro-abortion messages.