Pro-life advocates won major concessions from the city of Aurora [Illinois] to continue their pro-life witness and sidewalk counseling outside a Planned Parenthood facility, thus concluding their two year fight for their First Amendment rights.
UPDATE 3/31/10: Only ONE mainstream media article has been published on this pro-life court win
-- From "Pro-Life Protestors Win Key Demands From City of Aurora in Settlement" by Peter J. Smith, LifeSiteNews.com 3/25/10
Attorneys for the Thomas More Society, representing Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood and the Pro-Life Action League, successfully settled with the city in federal court in Chicago on Thursday, voluntarily dismissing their First Amendment lawsuit filed in 2007 to protect the rights of citizens who pray and protest at the city’s Planned Parenthood facility, one of the largest abortion clinics in the United States.
Under the settlement’s agreements, the City of Aurora will amend two ordinances that the law firm claimed were unconstitutional, and mandate First Amendment and non-discriminatory law enforcement training for Aurora police. The settlement also establishes a grievance process to handle disputes between the protesters and Aurora officials.
The settlement guarantees that any street signs prohibiting “picketing or protesting” will be removed from the city. Pro-life individuals are guaranteed the right to use public sidewalks and parkways for peaceful prayer and protest.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Thomas More Society Settles Federal Lawsuit Against City of Aurora" posted by Stephanie Lewis, Christian Newswire 3/24/10
Some of the more detailed provisions of the settlement include:
Signs with Graphic Content: Graphic signs may be used in demonstrations, with appropriate warning signs displayed to alert passers-by.
Sidewalk Construction: To assure public safety, Aurora will take necessary steps to ensure a public sidewalk is constructed along the access road.
Case No. 07 C 4803 - Fox Valley Families Against Planned Parenthood, Pro-Life Action League, and Eric Scheidler v. The City of Aurora
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
