U.S. Supreme Court clears way for specialty plates featuring ‘Choose Life’ message

High Court lets decision in favor of “Choose Life” license plates stand
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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court denied review Monday of a challenge to an Arizona specialty license plate featuring the words “Choose Life.”  The decision clears the way for the license plates to be offered to the public.  Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund and the Center for Arizona Policy represent the plates’ proponents, the Arizona Life Coalition.

“Pro-life groups shouldn’t be discriminated against for expressing their beliefs,” said ADF Senior Counsel Gary McCaleb.  “Pro-life advocates have the same First Amendment rights as anyone else in America. Many other groups were allowed to participate in the Arizona specialty plate program, and there was no legitimate reason to selectively exclude this group.  We’re glad that the Supreme Court has let this decision stand and that the state of Arizona must make the ‘Choose Life’ license plate available.”

The Arizona Life Coalition, a 100,000-member organization, applied for a specialty license plate with the slogan “Choose Life” in 2002.  The Arizona License Plate Commission, which oversees such requests, denied the application.

In September 2003, ADF attorneys filed suit jointly with the Center for Arizona Policy on behalf of the coalition.  In January 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled in Arizona Life Coalition v. Stanton that the commission had violated Life Coalition’s First Amendment right to free speech when the commission denied the request to create the license plate.

“State bureaucrats aren’t permitted to play favorites when it comes to free speech,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jeff Shafer.  “They may not close the door on a pro-life group while allowing forum access to other groups.  The First Amendment forbids just that form of viewpoint discrimination.”

ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.