Politics & Government
Anti-Abortion Group Reaches Settlement in Lawsuit Against Harford County
The Bel Air Police Department and Maryland State Police are still defendants in the case, which stems from a 2008 incident.
Harford County government and Defend Life Inc. have reached a settlement in a lawsuit stemming from a 2008 protest in which 18 people were arrested, a spokesman for the anti-abortion group said.
The Maryland State Police and Bel Air Police Department were not part of the agreement and remain defendants in the lawsuit, which claims a violation of protesters' First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
Spokesmen for both police agencies declined comment, citing the ongoing investigation of the incident.
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A spokesman for Defend Life said the county will adopt a new policy “regulating the handling of peaceful protestors" and that a confidential settlement has been reached with each plaintiff.
Chris Ferrara, chief counsel for American Catholic Lawyers Association, told Patch that Defend Life is satisfied with the outcome.
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“The settlement resolves our issues with the county of Harford, but there are major issues to be addressed with the remaining defendants,” he said. “This is classic First Amendment, protected activity for the display of signs in a public forum.”
County Attorney Robert McCord was not immediately available for comment.
The Defend Life protesters were arrested after displaying anti-abortion signs during a demonstration on Maryland Route 24 in 2008.
“The way they silenced the speech was to arrest 18 of the people who were involved in displaying the signs,” Ferrara said.
Protestors rallied in front of the Courtland Street courthouse Monday afternoon with larger-than-life signs displaying apparently aborted fetuses in the same manner that sparked citizen complaints in 2008, prompting police to respond.
