Mistrial in Case of Trooper Who Is Abortion Foe

The trial of a Washington state trooper charged with unlawful imprisonment for detaining a couple as they tried to find their way to an abortion clinic ended in a mistrial Thursday when jurors could not agree on a verdict.

The incident drew national attention, especially from abortion rights groups that expressed alarm at the prospect of an on-duty law enforcement officer forcing his anti-abortion beliefs on the public.

Trooper Lane W. Jackstadt, 34, pulled the couple over for speeding on a Seattle-area freeway in July. At the time, driver Justin Cooper, 20, and Deanna Thomas, 18, were lost and running late for a pre-abortion appointment.

The couple testified that Jackstadt lectured them about abortion alternatives when he learned where they were headed and coerced them into following him to an anti-abortion counseling center. Thomas had the abortion the next day.

But Jackstadt testified that he came across an obviously distraught couple and was only trying to help them. He said he never imposed his anti-abortion views on the two and that they freely agreed to follow him.