title: Roe v. Abortion Abolition Society, 9 March 1987.
abstract: The plaintiffs, two patients, two physicians, a clinic providing abortion services, members of its staff, and an escort service, sought to bring a class action against an anti-abortion society and its members under the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, which prohibits private conspiracies to deprive persons or classes of persons of the equal protection of the laws or of equal privileges and immunities under the laws. They claimed that the defendants had harassed, intimidated, and assaulted them.  The Court held that the plaintiffs did not constitute a class for purposes of the statute because holding similar religious views on abortion was not sufficient to meet the common characteristics requirement of a class.  The Court, however, allowed class action suits based on different statutory provisions to continue against several municipalities for failure to protect the plaintiffs' rights against the society and its members.
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D000569:Americas; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D019049:Developed Countries; D005193:Family Planning Services; D006262:Health; D006268:Health Facilities; D007603:Jurisprudence; D009656:North America; D011057:Politics; D011639:Public Opinion; D014481:United States
keywords: Abortion Centers--legal aspects; Abortion, Induced--legal aspects; Americas; Anti-abortion Groups--legal aspects; Court Decision; Delivery Of Health Care; Developed Countries; Family Planning; Fertility Control, Postconception; Health; Health Facilities; Interest Groups; North America; Northern America; Political Factors; United States