DOJ indicts Florida duo for threatening crisis pregnancy centers in wake of Dobbs decision overturning Roe

Two Florida residents were indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday for attacks on crisis pregnancy resource centers, becoming the first of such indictments following the Supreme Court’s leaked draft opinion to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Caleb Freestone, 27, and Amber Smith-Stewart, 23, allegedly conspired to prevent reproductive health services facility employees at a clinic in Winter Haven, Florida from providing services, according to the indictment.

Both suspects are accused of targeting the pregnancy resource facility in Winter Haven and vandalizing it with spray-painted threats such as, "If abortions aren’t safe than niether [sic] are you," "YOUR TIME IS UP!!," "WE’RE COMING FOR U," and "We are everywhere."

Winter Haven was not the only clinic Freestone and Smith-Stewart targeted. In fact, the indictment alleges they also targeted facilities in Hollywood, Florida and Hialeah, Florida.

By spray-painting the threats, Freestone and Smith-Stewart violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or FACE, Act. President Bill Clinton signed the act in 1994 and prohibits the use of any type of force or intimidation against anyone seeking an abortion, anyone exercising their First Amendment right of religious freedom, or intentionally damaging or destroying a reproductive healthcare facility or place of worship.

Freestone and Smith-Stewart allegedly used threats of force to intimidate and interfere with the employees at a reproductive health services facility in Winter Haven on the basis that they were providing those services.

The duo also allegedly violated the FACE Act by damaging the facility with spray-painted threats because the facility provides reproductive health services.

Both Freestone and Smith-Stewart face up to 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines up to $350,000 if convicted.

Several parties are involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case, including the FBI Tampa Field Office, the Miami Police Department, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Thelwell and Trial Attorneys Sanjay Patel and Laura-Kate Bernstein of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.

The DOJ has come under fire for arrests of pro-life activists last year, in the wake of a number of yet unsolved attacks on crisis pregnancy centers.

Meanwhile, across the pond:

https://nypost.com/2022/12/22/...rom-abortion-clinic/

^^^Yes, for the egregious act of silently praying...

And meanwhile in PA.

https://www.catholicnewsagency...tand-trial-next-week

In a nutshell, Houck was praying the Rosary with his 12-year-old son on public property. Clinic escort begins harassing his son. Houck warns him and the guy continues, prompting a shove that caused the guy to fall and skin his knee. Local authorities did not file charges, but the DOJ? Yeah, they felt the need to have 25 armed agents storm his home and arrest him at gunpoint.

I swear, one of these days they are going to do that to the wrong person and there's going to be some killin'.

quote:

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Thelwell

Did a quick Google search on her. Became a federal prosecutor in 2019 (i.e. Trump era hire). I see two awards from law enforcement assocations:

2019 Gang Prosecutor of the Year by the Florida Gang Investigators Association

2022 Special Achievement Award for Public Safety and Awareness by the Tampa Region Financial Crimes and Inspectors General Council.

Also, awarded “Prosecutor of the Year” at the annual Human Trafficking Summit. Thelwell represents the U.S. Department of Justice in the 23-agency Tampa Bay Task Force on Human Trafficking.

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
And meanwhile in PA.

https://www.catholicnewsagency...tand-trial-next-week

In a nutshell, Houck was praying the Rosary with his 12-year-old son on public property. Clinic escort begins harassing his son. Houck warns him and the guy continues, prompting a shove that caused the guy to fall and skin his knee. Local authorities did not file charges, but the DOJ? Yeah, they felt the need to have 25 armed agents storm his home and arrest him at gunpoint.

I swear, one of these days they are going to do that to the wrong person and there's going to be some killin'.

From the link
"If convicted under the FACE Act, Houck could face up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $350,000."

Insane - cold blooded murdering felons get less

Well it's about time. More of this needs to happen everywhere, as we all know there are no "mostly peaceful protests". I hate to think what Florida will be like after Desantis has moved on to the presidency,especially with all of the darn liberals we seem to get from up North.

Para thank you for posting this.
I live 20 to 30 minutes from Winter Haven"depending on traffic" where this happened. I looked for any local coverage of this and did not see anything till today and it was not easy to find.
It's interesting that I find out about whats happening in the news more from this forum then the local news.
If you had not posted this I would have never seen it and I look at the local news on line almost every day.

Not to be a stick in the mud, but they have a LONG way to go. The number of pregnancy center attacks is mind numbing, all with as little media coverage as possible.