(The Center Square) — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Thursday announced civil and criminal court victories over abortion activists attacking pregnancy centers.
Last March, Moody sued members of the violent anarchist groups Antifa and Jane’s Revenge for vandalizing three Florida crisis pregnancy center buildings and threatening their staff and clients in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court landmark ruling on abortion.
After the Supreme Court’s decision was leaked to overturn Roe v Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, pro-abortion activists and members of “criminal organizations sought to silence and intimidate crisis pregnancy centers’ workers and clients nationwide by vandalizing or even setting fire to their buildings,” Moody said at the time.
Two Antifa and Jane’s Revenge members, Caleb Hunter Freestone of Miami and Amber Marie Smith-Stewart of Ocoee, participated in at least three attacks against Florida crisis pregnancy centers, The Center Square first reported. Moody’s office also filed a civil action against additional defendants Annarella Rivera and Gabriella Victoria Oropesa, alleging all four defendants violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act.
On Thursday, Moody announced her victory securing a settlement, with several defendants pleading guilty to felonies in federal court. The settlement results in a civil judgment and a permanent injunction. Restitution will be ordered to compensate the victim clinics. One defendant will be ordered to pay a $10,000 civil penalty. The defendants who plead guilty face up to 10 years in prison.
The defendants are also permanently banned from being physically present within 100 feet of any crisis pregnancy center.
“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,” 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.”
The FACE Act provides for civil and criminal penalties against anyone who “by force or threat of force … intentionally … intimidates or interferes with or attempts to … intimidate or interfere with any person because that person is or has been … providing reproductive health services.”
According to the complaint, in May 2022, the defendants damaged the property of South Broward Pregnancy Help Center in Hollywood, including spray painting threats on its property stating, “If abortions aren’t SAFE then niether [sic] are you.”
In June 2022, defendants damaged the property of LifeChoice crisis pregnancy center in Winter Haven, spray painting their facility with threats including “YOUR TIME IS UP!!”; “WE’RE COMING for U.”
In July 2022, defendants damaged the property of Heartbeat of Miami pregnancy center in Hialeah, spray painting threats on its building, including “If abortions aren’t safe the [sic] neither are you.”
The centers offer free counseling, pregnancy testing, and ultrasound examinations to unexpectant mothers.
After the Supreme Court’s decision was leaked, dozens of incidents of “arson, vandalism, property theft, and property destruction,” as well as protests, bomb threats and assaults were initially reported against churches, prolife organizations, and individuals.
In June 2022, Jane’s Revenge called on activists to disrupt society, saying “we need the state to feel our full wrath … We need them to be afraid of us” and “whoever you are and wherever you are, we are asking for you to do what you can to make your anger known … To those who work to oppress us: If abortion isn’t safe, you aren’t either. We are everywhere.”
After 19 attorneys general requested the U.S. Department of Justice investigate violence being committed against pro-life groups in June 2022, the FBI said it would investigate the attacks being committed against prolife and faith-based groups.
It remains unclear when the FBI’s findings will be published.
The source of the Supreme Court leak has reportedly never been found or made public.
