Life Legal Defense Foundation Steps in to Seek Justice for Pro-Life Advocate

Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net

TUSCALOOSA, Ala., Nov. 12, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- Life Legal Defense Foundation has come to the aid of a man whose property was allegedly stolen by employees of a Tuscaloosa abortion clinic. The theft, which had a witness who identified the thieves, was investigated by the Tuscaloosa Police Department that filed a report in preparation for an arrest warrant. The stolen item, a large banner bearing a pro-life message, was seized by a clinic RN and male assistant who then absconded with Lake's signage in a car which they parked at the abortion facility. When Paul Lake, owner of the stolen property, went to court as directed to sign the complaint, he was told that that the city attorneys had denied the warrant request.

In a letter to Tuscaloosa City Attorney, Allison Aranda, Senior Staff Counsel for Life Legal Defense Foundation, addressed the excuses given to Lake as inapplicable. "Mr. Lake was told by the warrant clerk that the city's legal team said that because the banner was on the city's right of way it was not illegal for someone to take it. To imply that somehow a crime did not occur because the banner was on city property is absurd. The banner, regardless of where it was placed, still belonged to Mr. Lake...the Alabama criminal code concurs."

Aranda, a former prosecutor, points out, "This case is one of the easiest to prove that I've seen. There is an eyewitness who saw the crime occur as it was happening. The police then confront the perpetrators who admit to taking the sign and further, when asked if they would return the item to the owner, they tell police that the banner was destroyed. In the criminal justice arena that's about as close to an open and shut case as you find."

"Furthermore, Mr. Lake had the proper permits and was present," added Aranda. "The Tuscaloosa City Attorney office's actions give credence to the idea that they are defying the law to protect abortion clinic director Gloria Gray. It has been reported that a personal friend of Gray's, City Attorney Christopher England, is the person who told the warrant clerk not to issue the warrant," Aranda explained, "This appears as though Mr. England is attempting to protect his friends from criminal prosecution and thwarting justice for crime victim, Paul Lake."

Life Legal Defense Foundation confirmed that if the Tuscaloosa City Attorney office chooses to ignore Mr. Lake's request for criminal prosecution against those who stole his property, their lawyers will take action against the Tuscaloosa City departments and individuals involved.

Read the Life Legal Defense Foundation's letter to the Tuscaloosa City Attorney office here.

Read the Tuscaloosa City Attorney's response here.

Copies of the Tuscaloosa Police Department's report are available upon request.

Additional contacts:

Tuscaloosa City Attorney office
(205) 248-5140
Tim Nunnally, tnunnally@tuscaloosa.com
Christopher England, cengland@tuscaloosa.com

About Life Legal Defense Foundation
Life Legal Defense Foundation was established in 1989, and is a nonprofit organization composed of attorneys and other concerned citizens committed to giving helpless and innocent human beings of any age, and their advocates, a trained and committed voice in the courtrooms of our nation. For more information about the Life Legal Defense Foundation, visit www.lldf.org.