Bogus Criminal Charges Dropped Against Pro-Life Counselor

Albany Medical Surgical Center is an abortion clinic in northwest Chicago, part of the Family Planning Associates Medical Group; and according to their website, they provide abortions up to 23.3 weeks. The Center has been in the news for health violations and punitive fines.

More recently, the Albany Medical Surgical Center falsely accused a pro-life sidewalk counselor with a criminal battery charge. That charge was tossed out of court yesterday after the State chose not to prosecute charges that even the arresting officer doubted were valid.

The Thomas More Society represented the pro-life counselor. Following is her story, republished with their permission.

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(August 6, 2015 – Chicago, IL) Thomas More Society attorneys achieved victory in court yesterday when the State dropped criminal charges against pro-life sidewalk counselor Warren Dorman.  Family Planning Associates abortion clinic escort Lindsay Budzynski had accused Dorman of battery after he briefly bumped into her outside the abortion facility located at Albany Medical Surgical Center in Chicago at 5086 N. Elston.

“We are very glad that the prosecutor recognized that this was a simple accident and not a criminal battery like the abortion clinic escort had claimed,” said Corrina Konczal, Thomas More Society Associate Counsel.  “This case was simply an attempt to scare pro-life sidewalk counselors away from offering help to women outside the abortion clinic.  This victory shows that scare tactics will not work to shut down peaceful pro-life advocates like Mr. Dorman.”

Dorman has been praying and peacefully offering sidewalk counseling outside of the late term abortion Chicago clinic for over 20 years without incident.  On a December Saturday morning last year, Dorman handed literature to a couple as they left the clinic.  At Budzynski’s urging, the couple threw the literature to the ground. Dorman tried to pick up the material but Budzynski grabbed it.  As he requested that Budzynski return his property, Dorman briefly bumped into her.  Budzynski then entered the facility, at which time clinic manager Kathleen Fitch called the police to have Dorman arrested for criminal battery.

Konzal, along with Thomas More Society Special Counsel Peter Breen, uncovered multiple problems with the charges against Dorman, including the following:

• Abortion clinic staff destroyed surveillance camera tapes from the day of the incident, despite two promptly sent “preservation” letters from the Thomas More Society. These letters informed clinic personnel that they must retain this vital information to show precisely what had happened.

• Rather than immediately calling 911, Budzynski discussed the matter with manager Fitch who then called the police and alleged that Dorman had put his arms around Budzynski.  The charges were so weak that the 911 operator inquired whether Budzynski really wanted to press charges. 

• The officer called to the scene to arrest Dorman radioed in that it didn’t sound like a battery—a statement he repeated to Dorman later that day.

In response to these inconsistencies and the lack of any actual proof of battery, State Prosecutor David Neal informed the Court that the State would not be taking the case to trial.  Dorman was told by the judge that he was free of the charges.

“I’m relieved to be cleared of these false criminal charges, and I’m thrilled to have my good reputation restored,” said Dorman. “I’ve never stopped going to the clinic on Saturday mornings, but now I look forward to going back to pray and sidewalk counsel without the threat of criminal charges hanging over my head.  I’m grateful to the Thomas More Society for standing by me and defending my innocence throughout this process.”