New York AG Drops Lawsuit Against Pro-Life Christians Who Provide Prayer And Counseling Outside Abortion Clinic

Pro-Life

New York Attorney General Letitia James reportedly dropped a lawsuit against pro-life Christians who provide prayer and counseling outside an abortion clinic in Jamaica, NY.

The Christian Post said James dropped the lawsuit on Tuesday, November 16, after reaching an agreement with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York on the condition that no counterclaims would be filed. The state of New York will be paying the litigation costs of the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed in 2017 by then-Attorney General Eric Schneidmann against pre-K teacher Scott Fitchett, ten members of the Church@The Rock and its Rev. Kenneth Griepp for the Choices Women's Medical Center (CWMC).

Schneidmann filed the lawsuit under the United States Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act since Fitchett and his companions were allegedly harassing the medical center by sharing the Gospel to its clients, as well as, counseling on abortion. Fitchett was represented in court by Liberty Counsel while the Church@The Rock was represented by the Thomas More Society.

Accordingly, the lawsuit claimed that the pro-life Christians had been harassing CWMC's clients since 2012. The pro-lifers have "subjected incoming patients to a barrage of unwanted physical contact, as well as verbal abuse, threats of harm, and lies about the clinic's hours and its services."

This the pro-lifers allegedly do by "approaching patients to harangue them, sometimes pinning them against the clinic's exterior wall or parking meters, and even forcing them into the street and oncoming traffic as they try to escape the protesters." While "some protesters go so far as to touch or grab at patients to get their attention and force printed anti-choice materials on them."

Both legal counsels rebuked the allegations stating that none of their clients harassed any one but simply exercised their First Amendment rights. Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver appreciated the Attorney General's dropping of the case but pointed out in a statement dated November 17 that the lawsuit was "politically motivated."

"This is a great victory. The New York attorney general's lawsuit was politically motivated and patently frivolous. Our client, Scott Fitchett, did nothing wrong by exercising his First Amendment right to preach the gospel on a public sidewalk," Staver said.

Similarly, Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Stephen Crampton expressed in a statement his appreciation for the lawsuit's dismal. He pointed out how Schneidman's fault-finding efforts that involved the use of hidden cameras and undercover investigators ended with "nothing" yet persisted to "persecute" the pro-lifers.

"We are pleased to see the state of New York has finally come to its senses and dismissed these baseless charges. Justice has finally prevailed," Crampton said.

"They came up with absolutely nothing, but that didn't stop them from continuing to persecute these gentle Christians," he added.

The U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon denied the injunction against the pro-life Christians but Schneiderman appealed at the Second Circuit which reversed Amon's ruling. The pro-lifers then filed a motion for reconsideration that led the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse its decision last August. The court also affirmed the initial denial on the preliminary injunction given by Amon, which denied any efforts on James' part to censor the pro-lifers, before finally dismissing the case.