Abortion Protesters Rally Outside Court

About 200 abortion protesters prayed, held hands and sang outside the downtown courthouse Thursday while lawyers met two floors up trying to settle a slew of cases against the activists stemming from blockades earlier this year at medical clinics.

The attorneys met from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with San Diego Municipal Court Judge Frederic L. Link but did not resolve about 230 cases, said James M. Bishop, head deputy city attorney.

Link ordered the lawyers to return to court Monday morning for more talks, Bishop said.

The demonstrators who are defendants in the case were told to come back then, too, one of Link’s court clerks said.

Thursday’s hearing, held in Link’s courtroom, was closed. The lawyers could be seen through a glass pane in the door, and at times they appeared animated, pointing fingers at each other.

“I’m not really at liberty to discuss how we’re negotiating, but, by virtue of the fact that there are so many individuals, things naturally take longer,” Bishop said.

The protesters face a variety of misdemeanor charges in connection with arrests at protests April 8, April 29 and June 10 at San Diego-area clinics. Charges include trespass, failing to disperse, resisting arrest and eight charges of conspiracy, Bishop said.

There are no felony charges, he said.

Marshals reported no problems with the anti-abortion activists out on the steps, though they remained all day long, Assistant Marshal Les Conner said.

From 10 to 15 pro-choice advocates marched and carried signs early in the morning, on the sidewalk in front of the crowd. Marshals kept the two groups apart, and the pro-choice activists left at mid-morning.