A San Diego, Calif., ordinance that created a buffer zone around health-care facilities, places of worship, and school grounds doesn’t violate the free-speech rights of anti-abortion “sidewalk counselors,” a federal court said.
The provision barring people from knowingly approaching within eight feet of a person trying to enter or leave one of those establishments doesn’t target a particular subject matter, is narrowly tailored to serve the city’s interest in protecting access to the facilities, and leaves open adequate alternative means for the protesters to get their message across, the US District Court for the Southern District of California said March ...