A court rejected New York Attorney General Letitia James’ attempt to move her lawsuit against a pro-life organization from upstate New York to Manhattan last Tuesday. Her lawsuit comes after the pro-life organization Heartbeat International sued James over her politically motivated targeting of pregnancy help centers.
James, who has a track record of weaponizing the justice system against pro-life advocates, is suing Heartbeat International and several other associated pregnancy help centers. She alleges these organizations made “false and misleading statements” about abortion pill reversal (APR). APR is a protocol that seeks to reverse the effects of mifepristone, the first of two pills in a chemical abortion regimen. While James argues that APR is not FDA-approved or supported by some medical organizations, many organizations, experts, and studies have demonstrated its efficacy for women who change their minds about chemical abortion. According to James, passing information on to women constitutes fraud and false advertising in violation of state law.
Both parties agreed to consolidate the competing lawsuits. Heartbeat International filed for consolidation in upstate Monroe County, where the first suit was filed, as the common-sense option, as the majority of the pro-life organizations involved are located upstate. James’ principal office is located upstate in Albany, in addition to her office located down the street from the Monroe County courthouse.
However, in a clear attempt to shop around for the most pro-abortion jurisdiction she could find, James filed an order with the court to move the case from upstate Monroe County to Manhattan.
