Motion for Injunction Filed In Fort Myers Sidewalk Counselor Case

By 

Edward White

|
October 31, 2014

2 min read

Pro Life

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As previously reported, the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) has filed a lawsuit against the City of Fort Myers and one of its police officers for preventing pro-life sidewalk counselors from communicating with women going into and out of a local abortion clinic.

We represent Judith Minahan and JoAnn O’Connell. They regularly engage in sidewalk counseling outside the Fort Myers Women’s Health Center, an abortion clinic, to counsel women, in a non-confrontational manner, about such things as alternatives to abortion and post-abortion healing.

The City and police have threatened them with enforcement of a loitering ordinance if they stand still (even to pray) or if they speak with, or hand literature to, those in vehicles who are entering or leaving the clinic parking lot and who want to receive the information.

We filed the lawsuit earlier this week and have now filed a motion for a preliminary injunction.

In the motion we are requesting that the trial court prevent the City and police from continuing to violate our clients’ rights while the case proceeds to a final resolution.

The granting of the motion would allow our clients to engage in their important sidewalk counseling efforts without unconstitutional interference from the government sooner rather than later.

We anticipate a hearing on the motion for a preliminary injunction in the coming weeks.

We will keep you posted on this lawsuit.