San Diego
Anti-abortion lawyer Cyrus Zal appeared at San Diego County Jail Friday prepared to start serving his sentence for contempt, but jail officials did not have the proper paperwork to admit him.
Zal, 42, a Folsom-based lawyer who was cited for contempt 20 times during a trial last February by El Cajon Municipal Judge Larrie R. Brainard after being warned not to discuss abortion, had yet to be admitted to County Jail by 8 p.m. Saturday night, said a jail official.
Zal was to serve a 290-day sentence for bringing up abortion during the trial of six abortion foes accused of trespassing at a La Mesa clinic Oct. 21. The six were convicted.
Zal, former general counsel for the militant anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, has said that he would “gladly” serve the sentence to bring attention to the issue of abortion.
In July, the California Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Zal.
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