A Birmingham, Alabama abortion business failed in its efforts to shut down pro-life advocates attempting to provide women with information about abortion alternatives.
On Friday, Circuit Court Judge Edward Ramsey for the 10th Judicial District of Jefferson County, Alabama issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting members of the group Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust and their founder Jeff White from speaking to women outside the New Woman, All Women abortion center.
The judge prohibited them from engaging in prayer, holding signs and oral communication with any other person.
The order was issued without notice to White and others based on allegations that they failed to comply with a decades-old injunction issued by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama.
However, pro-life attorneys with the Life Legal Defense Foundation tell LifeNews.com there was no failure to comply because the injunction did not apply to White or the members of the group.
“Even though NWAWAC was aware the federal injunction was not enforceable against White or the Survivors, NWAWAC circumvented the district court by obtaining an order from Judge Ramsey of the circuit court,” LLDF’s Dana Cody explained. “Because there was no notice and no opportunity for White and others to be heard, Judge Ramsey was unaware of the procedural history of the federal case at the time the order was issued.”
When White learned of the temporary restraining order, Birmingham attorney Trenton Garmon sought a hearing before Judge Ramsey on his behalf.
Judge Ramsey told Garmon that the order would not be set aside and said Garmon would have to return today for a hearing on whether the order should be dissolved.
This morning the hearing was held and the TRO dissolved.
Cody said the ability to speak to women about options apart from abortion is crucial.
“The injustice of the TRO is readily apparent,” she said, because members of the “Survivors witnessed two women leave the clinic based on information given to them from the public sidewalk. If pro-lifers are not allowed on the sidewalk lives will be lost to abortion.”
The abortion business was the subject of the first prayer vigil in 13 years.
The new legal actions and vigil follows city officials losing their court case to stop pro-life advocates from reaching out to students at a local high school.
