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Abortion-rights extremists to apologize, pay restitution for attacks on pro-life facilities
By: Valerie Richardson, originally published July 25, 2024, The Washington Times
Four Florida activists linked to the radical pro-choice group Jane’s Revenge have agreed to pay restitution and stay away from crisis pregnancy centers to settle a state-filed civil lawsuit over the attacks on three pro-life facilities.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody announced the settlement Thursday with the four activists, three of whom pleaded guilty last month in federal court to criminal charges related to the vandalism.
“We will not allow radicals to threaten and intimidate women seeking help from crisis pregnancy centers or the counselors and health care professionals serving these women and their babies,” Ms. Moody said. “In Florida, illegal actions have consequences, and I am proud of the work our attorneys did in this case to make sure these extremists were held accountable.”
Under the agreement, the four Floridians will be permanently enjoined from coming within 100 feet of the targeted pro-life organizations: the South Broward Pregnancy Help Center in Hollywood; the Life Choice Pregnancy Center in Winter Haven, and any of the five facilities owned by Heartbeat of Miami.
Three of the four — Caleb Freestone, Amber Marie Smith-Stewart, and Annarella Rivera — will also issue apologies for vandalizing the three resource centers in 2022.
The agreement comes a month after Freestone, Smith-Stewart and Rivera pleaded guilty to federal criminal conspiracy charges against the pro-life facilities, according to the Justice Department.
Their pleas marked the first federal convictions stemming from the attacks on at least 90 pro-life offices and pregnancy centers following the May 2022 leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson, which overturned Roe v. Wade.
Under the agreement, the three defendants will pay jointly $6,750 in restitution for the late-night vandalism, which included spray-painting the centers with threats such as “if abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you,” “Jane’s Revenge,” “YOUR TIME IS UP!!” and “WE’RE COMING FOR U.”
They will also issue apologies admitting to the vandalism and apologize to the Heartbeat of Miami; the South Broward Pregnancy Help Center, and the Life Choice Pregnancy Center, as well as to “their leadership, their staff, and the patients they see every day.”
The apology begins: “Two years ago, I was upset with the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs. I decided to express my frustration in the wrong way.”
Federal charges against the fourth defendant, Gabriella Oropesa, are pending, but she agreed to pay $13,000 in restitution and remain 100 feet from the pro-life centers to settle the state action, according to the attorney general’s office.
“If Defendant Oropesa is found guilty or enters a subsequent guilty plea in the related criminal case, Defendant Oropesa agrees to send a letter of apology to each facility similar to the apology the other three Defendants plan to make at their sentencing hearings,” said the agreement filed in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida (Tampa Division).
The deal resolves the lawsuits filed last year by Ms. Moody, First Liberty Institute, and the Lawson Huck Gonzalez law firm alleging violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which provides for civil and criminal penalties for interfering with the providing of “reproductive health services.”
“The entry of these felony plea agreements serves as a reminder that no one should suffer violence for simply providing faith-based counseling and baby supplies to women and their babies,” said Jeremy Dys, First Liberty senior counsel.
The institute said that Ms. Moody’s lawsuit “is the first instance of a state attorney general to use the FACE Act to hold violent protestors of life-affirming pregnancy care centers accountable for their actions.”
Valerie Richardson covers politics and the West from Denver.