OAKLAND, CA — Thomas More Society attorneys yesterday delivered closing arguments in People of the State of California v. Heartbeat International & RealOptions, defending Heartbeat International and RealOptions against a lawsuit brought by the California Attorney General, which seeks more than $25 million in fines against them and a permanent gag order on their speech about Abortion Pill Reversal. The pro-life ministries say such a penalty would bankrupt them and strip free pregnancy help and health information from women across California and beyond. A decision is expected within 90 days.  

The case, tried before the Honorable Patrick McKinney of the Alameda County Superior Court, is the culmination of a nearly three-year government crusade against two Christian, charitable organizations whose only offense is helping women learn about Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) when they change their mind about their ongoing chemical abortion. Heartbeat International and RealOptions do not sell the information they provide about APR—they give it away, free of charge, as an expression of their faith and their mission to help mothers save the lives of their unborn children.

After six weeks of trial, the Attorney General could not name a single woman harmed or deceived by Heartbeat International’s or RealOptions’ speech about APR. The APR protocol remains legal in California and has been approved for continuing education by the California Board of Registered Nursing.

Instead, what Attorney General Rob Bonta is asking the court to do is silence two charities for telling women the truth: that after taking the first abortion pill, it may not be too late to change their mind—that the Abortion Pill Reversal protocol may successfully counteract the first abortion pill. If Bonta succeeds, the costly consequences will fall on the women in California and across the country who turn to these pregnancy help organizations for life-saving help in the most vulnerable moment of their lives.

Peter Breen, Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation at Thomas More Society, said:

“We told the court what the record already makes clear: after three years and six weeks of trial, the Attorney General never named one woman harmed by this protocol, because there isn’t one. This case didn’t come out of nowhere. Since Dobbs, California’s Attorney General has made no secret of his intent to go after pro-life pregnancy centers, and Heartbeat International and RealOptions are paying the price for that political agenda. What he’s asking a judge to do is bankrupt two Christian charities and take away life-saving information from women across the Golden State, simply because he disagrees with the choice they’re offering. That’s not consumer protection. That’s government censorship of people of faith.”

Paul M. Jonna, Special Counsel at Thomas More Society and Partner, LiMandri and Jonna LLP, said:

“Heartbeat International and RealOptions have never charged a single woman a dime for this information—they give it away because their faith calls them to help mothers choose life. The Attorney General wants to fine that mission out of existence. If he succeeds, women across California could lose access to free, faith-driven care—and it doesn’t stop there. Pro-life centers throughout California will be censored for sharing information this Attorney General’s office disagrees with. That should worry every nonprofit in this state, whatever cause they serve. We trust the court to see this case for what it is.”

With the case now in Judge McKinney’s hands, the fate of Heartbeat International and RealOptions hangs in the balance. The ruling demanded by the state would not just silence and shut down charities; it would hand attorneys general nationwide a blueprint for driving pro-life ministries out of existence, simply for telling women the truth and offering them a second chance to choose life. Thomas More Society and its clients remain confident that the Constitution, and the record built over six weeks of trial and three years of briefing, are on their side.

Read the Closing Trial Brief filed by Thomas More Society attorneys, here.  

For more background about the case, People of the State of California v. Heartbeat International and RealOptions, visit www.thomasmoresociety.org/apr.