Ann Arbor, MI — The Thomas More Law Center, a national, public interest law firm specializing in pro-life matters and located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on occasion wins victories for the pro-life cause without having to file a lawsuit. Here are two recent examples of such victories.
The Thomas More Law Center recently resolved a dispute between Ann Norton, a 56-year old pro-life grandmother, and Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan, an abortion clinic located in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
This past May, Mrs. Norton was conducting her pro-life picketing on the
public sidewalk in front of the Planned Parenthood clinic. One of her signs displaying a photograph of an aborted child was resting against a pole. While Mrs. Norton was walking back and forth, a clinic employee suddenly ran to the sign, grabbed it, and tossed it into the back of a garbage truck that was pulling out of the clinic parking lot. The Planned Parenthood employee then physically prevented Mrs. Norton from retrieving the sign, which was destroyed in the garbage truck.
The Thomas More Law Center contacted Planned Parenthood on Mrs. Norton's
behalf, and got Planned Parenthood to reimburse Mrs. Norton for the cost
of her expensive sign, obtained a written assurance that Planned Parenthood's employees and agents would no longer interfere with Mrs. Norton's First Amendment expression in front of their abortion clinic, and obtained a letter of apology from the Planned Parenthood employee who destroyed the pro-life sign.
“I'm happy to see this matter resolved,” stated Ann Norton, “and I thank the Thomas More Law Center for resolving this situation in a professional, speedy manner.”
The second case involves picketing at the three-day Heritage Festival held
in the City of Ypsilanti, Michigan, every August, where thousands of people attend. Chris Coatney, a staunch pro-lifer, has for the past few years attempted to express his anti-abortion message by carrying pro-life signs and by walking through the Festival crowds wearing the symbolic garb of an abortionist splattered with red paint. Written on his costume are the words, “Grime Reaper Abortion Services. Thanks for Keeping Me in
Business.”
According to Mr. Coatney, last year an Ypsilanti police officer threatened
that he would be arrested if he wore his complete abortionist costume
during the Festival. As a result, Mr. Coatney did not wear the costume and left the Festival.
Before this year's Festival, however, Mr. Coatney contacted the Thomas More Law Center. The Center contacted the police and city attorney on Mr. Coatney's behalf and explained to them his constitutional right to carry his pro-life signs and to wear his expressive and symbolic costume.
The Center obtained assurances from the city that city officials, including the police, would not interfere with Mr. Coatney's First Amendment expression. As a result, this year Mr. Coatney was able to attend the Festival and freely express his pro-life views without any
interference.
Chris Coatney stated, “One of the few ways left to get the message [that
abortion is the murder of innocent children] out to the public is on the
streets with signs and other forms of symbolic expression. I am extremely
grateful to the Thomas More Law Center for their support in that regard.”
Edward L. White III, an attorney with the Thomas More Law Center who handled both cases, commented, “The good news is that we were able to obtain victories for these pro-life activists without the necessity of lengthy and expensive litigation. Not every case needs to result in a lawsuit in order to achieve a positive outcome for the client.”
(This article courtesy of the Pro-Life Infonet email newsletter. For more information or to subscribe go to www.prolifeinfo.org or email infonet@prolifeinfo.org.)
