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Pregnancy Center Sues Jane’s Revenge for Attacks Last Summer

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Jane’s Revenge and its members have been sued in federal court in Florida for attacks committed last summer against pro-life pregnancy centers there.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody and First Liberty, a conservative public interest firm near Dallas, filed suit under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for threats and attacks on pregnancy centers and their staff.

Moody is seeking $170,000 from each of the two defendants, Caleb Freestone and Amber Smith-Stewart, for damages and fines.

Freestone and Stewart were indicted in January in federal court for attacks against Florida pregnancy centers, including charges for violating the FACE Act.

Freestone and Stewart are accused of being representatives of Jane’s Revenge in committing the attacks.

“Antifa and Jane’s Revenge are criminal organizations and must answer for their crimes in Florida,” Moody said. “I am taking action to hold their members accountable for attempting to intimidate and threaten law abiding citizens in our state.”

First Liberty represents Heartbeat of Miami, a pregnancy center that has been offering services to women with unplanned pregnancies since 2007.

According to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Tampa, Heartbeat’s Hialeah location was attacked by members of Jane’s Revenge on July 3, 2022. The attackers were caught on surveillance tape entering the facility in the early morning and vandalizing its property with spray painted threats like “If abortions aren’t safe the [sic] neither are you.”

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In September, Freestone and Annarella Rivera crashed the Heartbeat fundraising gala, “where they shouted obscenities, disparaged Heartbeat’s staff, volunteers, and supporters, and leafletted the venue with propaganda hoping to dissuade women from using Heartbeat’s services.”

After the Dobbs decision was leaked in May 2022, Jane’s Revenge took credit for firebombing a pro-life pregnancy center in Madison, Wisconsin. It continued to issue calls for increased violence against pregnancy centers which it called “anti-choice establishments.”

First Liberty asserts causes of action under the FACE Act for civil remedies. It also is suing for trespassing, civil conspiracy, and violation of the Florida law against racketeering.

“Those who target life-affirming reproductive health facilities must face the legal penalties Congress established for their crimes,” said First Liberty Senior Counsel, Jeremy Dys. “No one should suffer violence for simply providing faith-based counseling and baby supplies to women and their babies. Violence is never a lawful response to disagreement.”

Main photo: CompassCare, another pregnancy center in New York, after it was firebombed by Jane’s Revenge in June 2022 / Photo courtesy of CompassCare

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Kim Roberts

Kim Roberts is a freelance writer who holds a Juris Doctorate from Baylor University. She has home schooled her three children and is happily married to her husband of 25 years.

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