No. 22-1160

Albin Rhomberg v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., et al.

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2023-06-01
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Amici (1) Experienced Counsel
Tags: abortion-litigation civil-rights compensatory-damages due-process first-amendment free-speech no-injury racketeering rico-damages standing takings undercover-journalism
Key Terms:
FirstAmendment Privacy
Latest Conference: 2023-09-26
Related Cases: 22-1147 (Vide) 22-1159 (Vide) 22-1168 (Vide)
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether RICO claims should be dismissed where the plaintiffs suffered no compensable injury

Question Presented (OCR Extract)

QUESTIONS PRESENTED Respondent Planned Parenthood sued Petitioners over their use of undercover journalism techniques to investigate Planned Parenthood’s involvement in selling fetal tissue. With the assistance of the lower courts, Planned Parenthood spun Petitioners’ investigative project into a federal racketeering conspiracy and a judgment. The damages were not compensation for any injury or loss, but solely reimbursement for security enhancements. Prior to the decision below, no reported case had allowed an award of “compensatory damages” under RICO to an indisputably uninjured plaintiff for the purpose of improving the plaintiffs position. “But the context here is abortion.” Madsen v. Women’s Health Ctr., 512 U.S. 753, 785 (1994) (Scalia, J., concurring and dissenting). The lower courts did not hesitate to ignore “uncontroversial legal doctrines” concerning compensatory damages where the plaintiffs were abortion providers and the defendants were abortion opponents who made them look bad by releasing videos of shockingly frank conversations with abortion doctors. The questions presented are: 1. Whether RICO claims should be dismissed where the plaintiffs suffered no compensable injury. 2. Whether the lower courts erred in affirming an award of damages under RICO to reimburse Respondents for their voluntary expenses to avert a possible future recurrence of tortious conduct.

Docket Entries

2023-10-02
Petition DENIED.
2023-09-06
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/26/2023.
2023-09-05
2023-08-22
Brief of respondents Planned Parenthood Federation of America, et al. in opposition filed.
2023-07-03
Brief amici curiae of United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, et al. filed.
2023-06-21
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including August 23, 2023.
2023-06-20
Motion to extend the time to file a response from July 3, 2023 to August 23, 2023, submitted to The Clerk.
2023-05-26
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due July 3, 2023)

Attorneys

Albin Rhomberg
Catherine Wynne ShortLife Legal Defense Foundation, Petitioner
Catherine Wynne ShortLife Legal Defense Foundation, Petitioner
National Right to Life Committee
James Bopp Jr.The Bopp Law Firm, PC, Amicus
James Bopp Jr.The Bopp Law Firm, PC, Amicus
Sheila Ann GreenShelia Green, Esq, Amicus
Sheila Ann GreenShelia Green, Esq, Amicus
Planned Parenthood Federation of America, et al.
William Collins PerdueArnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, Respondent
William Collins PerdueArnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP, Respondent
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Knights of Columbus, March for Life, and Eternal Word Television Network, Inc.
Gene Clayton SchaerrSchaerr | Jaffe, Amicus
Gene Clayton SchaerrSchaerr | Jaffe, Amicus