A prolife sidewalk counselor in Michigan has won a victory in court against one of the most notorious abortion clinic chains in Michigan.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan has ruled against Northland Family Planning Clinic in the case of Thames v. City of Westland.
The ruling stated that Kimberley Thames was falsely imprisoned and arrested after peacefully praying in front of the abortion clinic. It found the CEO of Northland, Renee Chelian, and one of its employers were conspiring with the City of Westland to violate Kimberley’s rights. The defendants will pay Kimberley $2,000 for their wrongdoings.
Chelian made news most recently when an undercover journalist recorded her macabre joking about hauling the bodies of aborted babies up north for a bonfire.
The case came after the events on August 27, 2016 when Kimberley went to the Northland facility in Westland to be a witness for life. She silently prayed on the public sidewalks surrounding the facility. She was not violent, she did not have weapons; all she had on her was a rosary and a prolife sign.
After a while, Kimberley briefly left the area to use a nearby restroom. Upon returning, she noticed that several police cruisers had arrived at the facility. She had no idea why they were there. One of the officers approached her and asked if she told the security guard that she was going to bomb the clinic. Kimberley quickly rejected this statement. But little did she know that a Northland employee and the security guard called 911 to make a false claim that she had threatened to bomb the Northland facility.
At the scene of the alleged crime there was also a nun present. Officers were able to interview her and use her as an eyewitness. The nun explained that Kimberley never made any threats and that the guard was lying. However, the officers ignored what the nun had to say.
The officers took Ms. Thames into custody, telling her that she was “under arrest for making terrorist threats.” The officers placed Ms. Thames in handcuffs, put her in a police cruiser, and brought her to the Westland police station, where she was detailed for nearly three days.
As just a peaceful protester, Kimberley had her rights taken from her. Thankfully the courts were able to defend the right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly to provide justice for Kimberley.
If you have any questions one what your rights are when it comes to prolife picketing, check out our brochure on it.
