New York Attorney General Letitia James has dismissed charges levelled against 13 pro-life street counsellors who were accused of violating the law in New York. The state has been accused of lying and attempting to intimidate pro-life activists.
The charges were initially brought in 2017, when Eric Schneiderman, then-Attorney General of New York, accused pro-lifers of engaging in violence and threats outside an abortion facility in the city.
The innocent pro-lifers were first cleared of the charges, but this was rejected on appeal. Ultimately, the case dragged on for four years, in what has been deemed a “politically motivated and patently frivolous” lawsuit.
Following the dismissal of the case, last week, Senior Counsel Stephen Crampton, of the Thomas More Society, representing the pro-lifers, said: “We are pleased to see the state of New York has finally come to its senses and dismissed these baseless charges.”
A press release from the Thomas More Society slammed Schneiderman and his successors for “using hidden cameras, undercover investigators, and even a fake Facebook account posing as the page of a pro-life advocate, to try to find evidence of wrongdoing…
“After the evidence was in and the witnesses had testified, the judge saw through the state’s case. It collapsed like a house of cards. The judge specifically found that witness after witness for the state lied. Our clients refused to be intimidated…
“The case should never have been brought in the first place.”
SPUC comment
A SPUC spokesperson said: “This appears to be a shocking case of the judiciary abusing its power to intimidate pro-lifers who were exercising their right to free speech to advocate for women and their unborn babies.
“As we can see, the pro-abortion lobby and its supporters are increasingly turning to intimidation to advance their cause – attempting to shut down free speech and the pro-life message through any means possible.
“Whether on the streets, online or on university campuses, at home and abroad, such abuse is now common and must be taken seriously.”
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