California City Drops Charges Against Pro-Life Abortion Sidewalk Counselor
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 24, 2010
San Marcos, CA (LifeNews.com) — A California city has dismissed all criminal charges against a pro-life sidewalk counselor that arose out of a loitering citation she received in May 2010. The San Marcos City Attorney’s office confirmed yesterday the charges have been dismissed as the Life Legal Defense Foundation helped Elena Di Ventra.
Di Ventra was issued a citation for loitering after she walked into a parking lot adjacent to an abortion center to speak with a pregnant girl and offer her life-saving information about her baby.
The parking lot is open to the public and Di Ventra immediately returned to the sidewalk after her brief conversation with the girl. Still, local police officers accused her of wandering idle about the property without an apparent reason to be present.
When the matter was brought to LLDF’s attention, Life Legal Defense Foundation staff attorney Allison Aranda contacted the San Marcos City Attorney’s Office and demanded that it drop what the pro-life legal group considered a meritless criminal charge.
The City Attorney’s Office quickly reviewed the matter and agreed to dismiss the case.
"We are grateful for a city attorney who respects the right to freely speak," Dana Cody, president of the pro-life legal group told LifeNews.com, "particularly since Ms. Di Ventra was facing a $3,870.00 fine in this case."
Life Legal Defense Foundation is a non-profit organization composed of attorneys and other concerned citizens, committed to giving helpless and innocent human beings of any age, and their advocates, a trained and committed voice in the courtrooms of the country.
Related web sites:
Life Legal Defense Foundation – https://www.lldf.org
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