Archive for the ‘Press Releases’ Category
Posted by Thomas More Society (March 5, 2010 at 5:19 pm)
Thomas More Society Wins Dismissal of Charges Against Pro-Life Advocate Who Challenged Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s Pro-Abortion Views
For Immediate Release
Providence, R.I. March 5, 2010—Attorneys from the Chicago-based Thomas More Society,on the eve of the trial, won a victory in Providence municipal court this week when the city prosecutor decided to dismiss criminal charges against Christopher Young. Young, a Catholic pro-lifer who is also a Democratic mayoral candidate, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after confronting Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) about his abortion views at an advertised “open forum” on health care at Brown University last November.
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Posted by Thomas More Society (March 3, 2010 at 11:28 pm)
TMS renews call for Notre Dame President Fr. Jenkins to prefer human rights to property rights and ask the prosecutor to drop all charges against the ND 88
Chicago, Ill.—Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of Chicago’s Thomas More Society—the national public interest law firm whose legal team is defending the Notre Dame 88—is sad to report the death of ND88 client Linda Schmidt who died after a courageous battle with terminal cancer.
“It is with a heavy heart that we report that Linda Schmidt died early last night. While she will be missed by her family and loved ones, as a woman of tremendous faith she will no doubt spend eternity with our Lord,” stated Brejcha. “But our grief at losing this dedicated pro-life heroine is greater given the grim truth that she lived her final days under this cloud of criminal charges instigated by Notre Dame, which remained pending even as she departed this life.”
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Posted by Thomas More Society (March 2, 2010 at 11:29 pm)
Judicial Review and Stay of Proceedings Sought in Hamilton County Superior Court against Agency’s Claim of Power to Penalize a Group of Nine Families for their Decision about ‘Who Could Eat What’ at the Group’s Banquet.
Hamilton County, Ind., March 2—Late yesterday, Chicago’s Thomas More Society, a national public interest law firm, filed a 127-page lawsuit against the Indiana Civil Rights Commission (ICRC). The ICRC has adamantly insisted that it has the power to review and penalize a Catholic home schooling group of nine families who joined together for religious reasons to form the Fishers Adolescent Catholic Enrichment Society (FACES) by which the families sought to provide social occasions at which their children could interact in a religious context with other children who were being home schooled. . . Case documents after the break
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Posted by matt (February 16, 2010 at 10:11 am)
For Immediate Release
Thomas More Society Attorneys Seek Dismissal of Criminal Charges vs. Mayoral Candidate Whom Campus Police Arrested When He Questioned Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s Pro-Abortion Stance at an “Open Forum” on Health Care at Brown University
Providene, R.I. (February 16, 2010)—Attorneys from the Chicago-based Thomas More Society are appearing in Providence municipal court tomorrow for a hearing on their motion to dismiss disorderly conduct charges against Christopher Young. Young, a Democratic mayoral candidate, was arrested and dragged away to jail after questioning Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, about his pro-abortion views at an “open forum” on health care at Brown University last November.
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Posted by Thomas More Society (February 11, 2010 at 11:29 am)
Rockford, Ill., Feb. 9—City of Rockford officials have tabled its recently proposed “bubble zone” ordinance for two months as they consider new objections from the Chicago-based Thomas More Society and local pro-life activists. Yesterday, attorneys from the Thomas More Society sent a letter to Rockford’s mayor and aldermen respectfully urging them to reject the bubble zone measure as ill-advised and unconstitutional.
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Posted by Thomas More Society (January 11, 2010 at 10:47 pm)
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net
Pro-Life Defendants Had Argued That Judge ‘Reasonably’ Appeared To Be Biased
January 11, 2010 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—In the ongoing case involving 88 pro-life demonstrators arrested at the University of Notre Dame in the days leading up to (and in some cases during) President Barack Obama’s commencement speech and receipt of an honorary degree, the assigned trial judge has recused herself just days after defense attorneys filed an appeal from her earlier ruling, denying recusal.
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Posted by Thomas More Society (December 3, 2009 at 9:18 pm)
Pro-Life Defendants’ Argue that Free Speech Rights Violated as Obama Supporters were Given Special Treatment by Campus Police
December 3, 2009 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Chicago-based Thomas More Society attorneys appeared in St. Joseph County Criminal Court today to argue for dismissal of trespass charges against pro-life advocates because campus police acted improperly. The charges were brought by local prosecutors based on complaints by University of Notre Dame security police during Obama protests last May at the University. In addition to the motion to dismiss, Thomas More Society attorney Tom Dixon argued that Judge Jenny Pitts Manier had an actual or perceived bias based on her prior rulings, her husband’s outspoken criticism of Catholic pro-life teachings as a philosophy professor at Notre Dame and other factors. Judge Manier, while denying the bias charges, ruled nonetheless that the prosecution should be halted to allow for an immediate appeal as to whether she should be disqualified from ruling on the merits of the 88 cases.
“We’re very pleased that Judge Manier has allowed this immediate appeal as it is critical that these vital issues be heard before a fair and impartial tribunal,” said Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society. [Continue reading ...]
Posted by Thomas More Society (November 4, 2009 at 10:54 am)
7th Circuit Court of Appeals Lifts Injunction on Illinois Parental Notice Act!
Culmination of Four Years of Work by Thomas More Society
Chicago, IL—Today, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit dissolved the federal injunction against the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act. As a direct result of the court’s decision (Zbaraz v. Hartigan), Illinois parents will be entitled, for the first time since Roe v. Wade was decided, to notification before their minor daughters are taken for abortions. The decision is the culmination of four years work by the Thomas More Society, particularly TMS Special Counsel Paul Linton, who devised the legal strategy which ultimately led to the lifting of the injunction.
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Posted by Thomas More Society (October 29, 2009 at 4:30 pm)
Thomas more society intervenes to defend Illinois parental notice of abortion act.
Chicago, October 29—Today, the Thomas More Society filed a petition to intervene, on behalf of three Illinois state’s attorneys, in Cook County Circuit Court to defend the Illinois Parental Notice of Abortion Act. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently brought suit in Illinois state court to enjoin or block the Act, after the ACLU lost its bid in federal court earlier this year to stop the Act from going into effect. State’s Attorneys Stewart Umholtz of Tazewell County, Edward Deters of Effingham County, and Raymond Cavanaugh of Henderson County are seeking to intervene in order to have the case dismissed.
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Posted by Thomas More Society (October 6, 2009 at 3:35 pm)
Chicago, Oct. 6—ast week the tide turned against free speech when Chicago’s leaders targeted pro-life advocates with a municipal ordinance that would restrict their speech rights and prevent them from helping women going to area abortion centers.
Within 50 feet of an abortion clinic, the ordinance imposes an 8-foot “cone of silence” that prevents anyone from coming within 8 feet to speak to or pass a leaflet to a person near an abortion clinic, with a $500 fine imposed for violating the ordinance.
The Thomas More Society believes this ordinance is aimed at persons who seek to offer help and support with a woman’s pregnancy at abortion clinics, because a substantial number of women at Chicago-area abortion clinics who are offered assistance with their pregnancies accept that help and choose to have their children.
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