IN BRIEF : Anti-Abortionists Consider D.A.’s Offer on Charges in Cypress Protest
About 370 defendants charged with unlawful assembly in a March 23 anti-abortion protest in Cypress appeared at West Municipal Court in Westminster this morning to enter their pleas.
In an attempt to avoid the expense of individual trials, the Orange County district attorney’s office offered to reduce the misdemeanor charge to an infraction and charge each defendant $75 to $125 in court costs. The arrangement, however, depended on all 370 pleading either guilty or no contest today.
Randall Terry, a leader of the national Operation Rescue, sent word to the defendants not to accept the district attorney’s arrangement, according to Kenneth Tanner of Rancho Santa Margarita.
The defendants were granted a recess at noon to discuss the deal.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
