Since the draft of a Supreme Court decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade leaked early last week, leftists have been panicking over the prospect of being barred from killing babies in the womb.
Some have gone as far as to publish the addresses of the conservative Supreme Court justices, and activists have descended upon their houses to protest.
Despite the fact that this behavior is against the law, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday the Biden administration has no problem with it.
“So I know that there’s an outrage right now, I guess, about protests that have been peaceful to date, and we certainly continue to encourage that outside of judges’ homes,” Psaki said. “And that’s the president’s position.”
Psaki: “We certainly continue to encourage [protests] outside of judges’ homes”
pic.twitter.com/nLJw2yXocH— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 10, 2022
In other words, the White House press secretary just green-lighted protests outside Supreme Court justices’ homes.
However, even if the protests are not violent, they are still against federal law. According to Section 1507 of the United States Code, picketing in or around the residences of judges is prohibited.
“Whoever, with the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice, or with the intent of influencing any judge, juror, witness, or court officer, in the discharge of his duty, pickets or parades in or near a building housing a court of the United States, or in or near a building or residence occupied or used by such judge, juror, witness, or court officer…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both,” Section 1507 states.
Is the Biden White House condoning criminal behavior?
Leftists’ stated purpose for the protests outside of conservative justices’ homes is to influence their decision regarding Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973. By encouraging this behavior, Psaki is encouraging Americans to break federal law.
Three of the justices generally considered to be “conservative” live in Virginia. That list includes Justice Samuel Alito, author of the leaked draft, and Politico reported about 100 protesters marched to his home in Alexandria, Virginia on Monday.
According to Section 18.2-419 of the Virginia code, these actions were against state laws, too.
“Any person who shall engage in picketing before or about the residence or dwelling place of any individual, or who shall assemble with another person or persons in a manner which disrupts or threatens to disrupt any individual’s right to tranquility in his home, shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor,” the code states.
WARNING: The following video contains strong and graphic language that some viewers will find offensive.
Videos shared on social media Monday night showed protesters outside Alito’s house acting in a manner that certainly would be considered “disruptive” — shouting obscenities and chanting “abort the court.”
“Fuck you, Alito.”
Protest outside Justice Alito’s house tonight.
Group of no more than 100 people showed up. pic.twitter.com/85e4tIqz1T
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 10, 2022
In addition to the legal issues around these protests, there are serious questions as to whether the Biden administration stands to benefit from supporting them.
The Trafalgar Group and Convention of States conducted a poll May 6-8 asking likely voters whether they believed calling for protests outside of justices’ private homes was an appropriate way to protest the upcoming Roe v Wade decision. More than three-quarters, 75.8 percent, of respondents said it was not appropriate.
Even 66.6 percent of Democrats agreed these protests were not appropriate, as did 86.5 percent of Republicans and 75.1 percent of independent voters, according to the poll. The poll of 1,082 respondents reported a margin of error of 2.99 percent.
The Biden administration seems to believe its push to protect abortion will only help Democrats, even if they have to go to extreme lengths to achieve their goal. Most Americans, apparently, don’t agree.
