Cannot Pay Claims, Abortion Foes Say

Abortion foes held liable for clinic violence in a landmark federal racketeering case said in Chicago they can’t pay millions of dollars in damage claims expected from clinics nationwide. A jury has said Joseph Scheidler, Timothy Murphy and Andrew Scholberg, the Pro-Life Action League and Operation Rescue used threats and violence in a nationwide extortion scheme designed to shut down clinics. The jury awarded Milwaukee and Wilmington, Del., clinics damages totaling $85,926.92. The amount will be tripled under an anti-racketeering law intended to fight organized crime. The verdict allows clinics across the country to claim their own triple damages. Susan Hill, president of Women’s Health Organization of America, which operates the Milwaukee and Wilmington clinics, said numerous protest targets are eager to collect.