Archive for the ‘Freedom of Speech’ Category
Posted by Thomas More Society (March 31, 2010 at 9:25 am)
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Karl Fritz, 773-255-9656 fholywater@aol.com
Chicago—On Sunday, April 4 at 7:00 a.m. CST, an interdenominational group of Christians will celebrate Easter Sunday and the resurrection of Jesus Christ in Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago. On Thursday, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. CST, a 19-foot tall wooden cross will be raised in the plaza, and the cross will be draped in purple linen which will be replaced with white linen on Easter Sunday. This is the fourth year of the Sunrise Service in Daley Plaza, an exercise of the First Amendment rights to free exercise of religious faith and free speech by citizens in the public square. [Continue reading ...]
Posted by Thomas More Society (March 29, 2010 at 9:57 am)
Friday’s deadline for the passage of new legislation by the Illinois House of Representatives came and went without HB6205—the “Illinois FOCA” bill—ever coming up for a vote.
Realizing they were short of the votes needed for passage, the House leadership chose to send the bill back to the Rules Committee, which means that it is effectively dead for the year. The Stop Illinois FOCA Coalition, which includes the Thomas More Society, will continue to watch the House for any further developments—for example, a move to extend the deadline for this bill—but there seems little hope for HB6205 in 2010.
Thanks to all those who called, e-mailed and visited their State Representatives. Thanks to all who offered prayers or joined protests down in Springfield or at district offices across the state.
And a special thanks to our pro-life lobbyists: Ralph Rivera of Illinois Citizens for Life and Bob Gilligan of the Illinois Catholic Conference. Their tireless efforts down in Springfield and their wisdom and guidance for the whole pro-life community of Illinois made this victory possible.
Posted by Thomas More Society (March 24, 2010 at 10:52 pm)
Lawsuit Had Alleged First Amendment Violations by City Against Protesters at Midwest’s Largest Abortion Facility, Located in Aurora, Illinois
Aurora, Ill.—Tomorrow morning, attorneys for the Thomas More Society will ask Judge Virginia Kendall for leave to spread of record an agreed stipulation and settlement in federal court in Chicago, voluntarily dismissing their First Amendment lawsuit (Fox Valley Families, etc. v. Aurora), filed two years ago to protect the rights of citizens who pray and protest at the Planned Parenthood facility in Aurora. The settlement requires the City of Aurora to amend two ordinances claimed to be unconstitutional, mandates First Amendment training for Aurora police, and establishes a grievance process to handle disputes between the protesters and Aurora officials. While the case will be dismissed, the federal court will retain jurisdiction to enforce the settlement agreement. Link to the full text of the agreement after the fold
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Posted by Thomas More Society (March 11, 2010 at 11:25 pm)
Outside of Planned Parenthood on Lasalle and Division in downtown Chicago, a newsstand has stood vacant on the corner for quite some time.
The newsstand, owned by the city of Chicago, created a bit of an annoyance for pro-lifers since it took up a good bit of sidewalk real estate where sidewalk counselors and prayer partners could otherwise stand.
But the folks at Aid for Women pregnancy resource center turned the annoyance into a blessing when they purchased an ad on the side of the newsstand offering women alternatives to abortion right outside the clinic’s door.
But recently and with no notice, the newsstand was taken down by the city along with the ad, despite the fact that Aid for Women had contracted the ad through the beginning of May.
Many observing the situation have smelled something fishy about the situation, especially because the Planned Parenthood facility is located in the ward of Alderman Vi Daley—the alderman who sponsored the infamous Chicago “bubble zone” ordinance at Planned Parenthood’s request.
With that in view, Thomas More Society attorneys have filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for any and all documents the city has pertaining to the ad, the newsstand and their removal.
Read all about the story from the Pro-Life Action League, the Chicago Tribune’s Dennis Byrne and TMS’s FOIA request below.
Related Links
Posted by matt (March 8, 2010 at 11:41 pm)
Two critical TMS cases have been in the news this week. The dismissal of the disorderly conduct charges filed against Providence, Rhode Island Mayoral candidate Chris Young for speaking out against Rep. Patrick Kennedy’s pro-abortion stance was a tremendous victory for free speech and has caught the attention of both the local and national press.
Also, the case of an Indiana homeschooling group whose First Amendment rights are being violated by the state government which is attempting to micromanage the groups affairs with an iron fist has got the press talking in print and in new media outlets like the blogosphere.
Keep Up with the Latest News
Check out all the links below for more details on both cases and be sure to check back to the TMS blog often for the latest updates. For the most up to the minute news, sign up to receive e-mail alerts of breaking events on the upper left side of this website.
News Coverage of the Chris Brown Dismissal
News Coverage of the Indianapolis Homeschooling Case
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 5, 2010 at 12:47 pm)
The case against Providence, Rhode Island mayoral candidate Chris Young has been dismissed! Young was arrested for disorderly conduct after questioning Rep. Patrick Kennedy about abortion at a public forum on healthcare.
After a tenacious fight by TMS attorneys, the city prosecutor moved for dismissal. Check back to the TMS website for more details as they become available.
In the meantime, you can read more on the case here, here and see video of Young’s question for Kennedy and his arrest here. You can also see the court documents on the dismissal below.
Case Documents
Posted by Thomas More Society (March 5, 2010 at 10:53 am)
Monica Miller, longtime pro-life activist and head of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society was a dear friend of activist Linda Schmidt, one of the ND 88 who died of cancer earlier this week. You can read Monica’s last letter to Linda after the break, a touching testament to Linda’s commitment to the pro-life cause. It has been requested that condolences and Mass cards to be sent to:
Larry Schmidt
9035 Mount Vernon Avenue
Milwaukee, WI 53226
May Linda’s soul and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercies of God rest in peace.
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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 (February 19, 2010 at 11:42 am)
Emboldened by recent action in Chicago, Rockford, Illinois recently sought to enact a bubble zone ordinance to restrict pro-life counseling and prayer outside the abortion facility in the town. After TMS attorneys conatacted the city council, the measure was tabled for two months.
The media has caught wind of this important free-speech case. Below is a sampling of the media coverage on this story.
Media Coverage of Rockford Bubble Zone
