Pittsburgh Bubble Zone Law?

[Dan_Daly]

Hello,

I know there are some other Pittsburgh area Catholics on these boards. I’ve recently started attending prayer groups that meet outside the abortion mills in Pittsburgh, and was wondering if anyone could answer my questions regarding “the bubble zone” around the entrances.

In brief- there’s a semi-circle drawn on the ground with chalk around the entrance to the mills. At the Planned Parenthood mill the circle extends a little bit into the roadway. At the other one it is entirely on the sidewalk. What I’ve been told is “don’t go in the circle or they can arrest you”. Ok. My question is what exactly do they arrest you for? I’ve tried looking this up but can’t find the specific Pittsburgh ordnance that would be enforced. Is it a summary offense (like a speeding ticket) that would result in a fine? Or is a misdemeanor or felony that would result you being arraigned before a judge? If anyone can provide a reference to the actual law that would be fantastic.

Pax.

 

[Beth_Cecilia]

“Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: 15 feet fixed buffer zone and eight feet floating buffer zone.[7] The statute was approved by the Pittsburgh City Council in December 2005.[15] In 2009 a three judge appeals court panel found in Brown v. Pittsburgh that while either a fixed buffer or a floating buffer alone is constitutional, this combination of buffers is “insufficiently narrowly tailored,” and thus unconstitutional.[16]”

Buffer or bubble zone laws are a common way to keep protesters in check. It is not obvious to me that the laws are legal, but they are common.

The wikipedia article is pretty good:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_protection_of_access_to_abortion

I do not know what the punishment for entering the bubble zone would be- but you can certainly be arrested.

Here is the court document:
ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/081819p.pdf

 

[Dan_Daly]

Thanks. I was able to find the actual law with a google search using the actual code of the ordinance in the linke you provided.

city.pittsburgh.pa.us/city_clerk/assets/ordinances/2005/05-Ord49.pdf

Violation of the law is a summary offense. Penalty is a fine of at least $50 for a 1st offense, $150 for a second offense within 5 years, $300 for a 3rd offense within 5 years, $300 and/or 3-30 days in jail for 4th and subsequent offenses within 5 years.

So yes you can be arrested. This is good info though. Get arrested and pay $50 (probably closer to $150 with court costs, etc) is a lot different then get arrested and make bail or go to jail. Also, if you’re only arrested for a summary offense, it wouldn’t go on a criminal history and you would not be fingerprinted/photographed, which are another big concern for people considering how to respond to this law.

Pax.

 

[Cojuanco]

“Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: 15 feet fixed buffer zone and eight feet floating buffer zone.[7] The statute was approved by the Pittsburgh City Council in December 2005.[15] In 2009 a three judge appeals court panel found in Brown v. Pittsburgh that while either a fixed buffer or a floating buffer alone is constitutional, this combination of buffers is “insufficiently narrowly tailored,” and thus unconstitutional.[16]”

Buffer or bubble zone laws are a common way to keep protesters in check. It is not obvious to me that the laws are legal, but they are common.

The wikipedia article is pretty good:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_protection_of_access_to_abortion

I do not know what the punishment for entering the bubble zone would be- but you can certainly be arrested.

Here is the court document:
ca3.uscourts.gov/opinarch/081819p.pdf

Usually, in these kinds of demonstrations, the police will arrest you for trespass or disorderly conduct, and give you the functional equivalent of a traffic ticket. They may, however charge you with a misdemeanor, which means you will have to show up for a court date.