Court won't review abortion poster case

WASHINGTON, June 10 (UPI) -- The U.S. Supreme Court Monday refused to review an injunction against "gruesome" images displayed by anti-abortion protesters outside a Denver church.

"On Palm Sunday, March 20, 2005, Kenneth Tyler Scott and Clifton Powell led a demonstration outside Saint John's Church in the Wilderness against what they see as the evils of abortion," as they did on previous Palm Sundays, the protesters said in a petition to the Supreme Court.

The protesters felt that the Episcopal church was too liberal, saying former President Bill Clinton had sometimes attended it.

The demonstration took place while the church was conducting outside services, with about 200 children present. Some parents objected to posters, about 3 1/2 feet by 4 1/2 feet, of aborted fetuses within sight of the children, calling the pictures "gruesome."

The church filed suit, and eventually the Colorado Court of Appeals approved an injunction. The appeals court said it was obvious that the injunction was meant to suppress speech, but there was a compelling government interest in protecting children from disturbing images."

The Supreme Court denied review without comment.