We’re excited to share a victory we just notched for life and free speech in the Land of Lincoln!
In Rockford, Illinois, I was just in court for a dedicated pro-life advocate who was unjustly charged with “disturbing the peace” while peacefully counseling for life outside of Rockford’s now-defunct but notorious residential abortion business…
Last fall, Kevin Rilott, President of Rockford Family Initiative and pro-life sidewalk counselor for over 25 years, was peacefully offering hope and life-affirming resources to women outside an abortion facility sneakily set up in a residential neighborhood—just across the fence from where kids play basketball or ride their bikes.
This abortion business was deliberately—and illegally—authorized by the City of Rockford to operate in a residential zone, with its parking lot accessible only through an adjacent alley, forcing Kevin to stand there to reach abortion-bound women with his message of hope.
Click here to sign up for pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com
It was the only way he could share the truth about life with them and be the last line of defense for those babies.
Someone who disagreed with Kevin’s message accosted him in public, became belligerent, and called the police. Instead of protecting Kevin, an officer issued him a ticket for “disturbing the peace”—falsely claiming he was “protesting” and “yelling”!
The city even argued the alley wasn’t a public space, trying to block Kevin’s right to be there again…
But here’s the thing, Steven: I dug deep into public city records, going back over a century, and uncovered undeniable proof that the alley is a public right-of-way. Kevin had every right to stand there and share his message. The charges were completely bogus!
Last Friday, we succeeded in getting those charges thrown out. Kevin can now continue his vital work, reaching out to mothers in need without bogus fines and charges hanging over his head.
This is exactly why Thomas More Society exists: To take a stand for everyday pro-life heroes like Kevin when they face injustice.
If you’ve been following our work, you may remember that earlier this year, our attorneys secured a unanimous Illinois Appellate Court holding that the abortion business where Kevin was counseling was opened illegally.
This abortion business, run by notorious abortionist Dr. Dennis Christensen, violated zoning laws by sneakily setting up in a single-family neighborhood. City officials had allowed Dr. Christensen to misuse an old permit meant for a small chiropractic practice to justify the abortion business—but we proved this was unlawful.
Our court win there has now led to the facility being shut down, protecting the neighborhood and ensuring families can live in peace.
Kevin Rilott said it best: “Thomas More Society has been defending the rights of the people of Rockford for fifteen years with the clear result being countless babies have been saved from abortion—and their families having life and hope in Rockford.”
Even in the face of victory, we can’t become complacent, Steven. The abortion industry is pushing harder than ever to silence pro-life voices and tear apart communities. We need your help to keep standing strong.
LifeNews Note: Tom Old is Executive Vice President of the Thomas More Society.
The post Charges Against Pro-Life Advocate for Peacefully Protesting Abortion are Thrown Out appeared first on LifeNews.com.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Tim Olp
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, https://www.lifenews.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu.
