A Kansas abortion opponent accused of sending a threatening letter to a Wichita doctor claims in court documents that her message was "divinely inspired" and protected by the freedoms of speech and religion.
Angel Dillard's latest assertion was included in a flurry of recent defense filings in federal court. The Valley Center woman is being sued by the U.S. Justice Department under a law aimed at protecting access to abortion services.
The government's lawsuit claims Dillard, of Valley Center, threatened Dr. Mila Means when she wrote her a letter last year saying that thousands of people from across the United States were looking into the doctor's background.
"They will know your habits and routines. They know where you shop, who your friends are, what you drive, where you live," the letter said. "You will be checking under your car everyday — because maybe today is the day someone places an explosive under it."
The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, seeks a court order that keeps Dillard from contacting Means or coming within 250 feet of Means, her home, car or business. It also seeks damages of $5,000 to Means and a civil penalty of $15,000.
Dillard responded with a lawsuit saying the government's suit violates her freedom of speech and religion. Government lawyers have criticized her arguments and asked the court to dismiss her counterclaim. Her attorney asked the court Friday allow her to amend her lawsuit to address "any pleading defects" and support its allegations.
"Angel Dillard believed she was inspired by God to send a letter to Dr. Means in an attempt to convince her not to pursue her plan to abort babies in Wichita," attorney Donald McKinney said. "Angel Dillard wrote the letter quickly, in a matter of minutes, and believed that her message was divinely inspired."
Dillard also claims the government's lawsuit and related publicity caused tension among her religious associates, resulting in her losing ministry positions at her church and a local jail. She says officials at the Sedgwick County Detention Center revoked her jail ministry privileges as a result of the lawsuit and the related government investigation of her activities at the jail.
Meanwhile, both sides are seeking more documents after settlement talks failed in April. Dillard has subpoenaed portions of records of abortions Means performed and documents related to her efforts to lease a building and obtain funding to open an abortion clinic.
The government has subpoenaed records pertaining to Dillard's jailhouse visits.
No abortions have been performed openly in Wichita since Dr. George Tiller, one of the nation's few late-term abortion providers, was fatally shot in May 2009 by anti-abortion activist Scott Roeder as the physician served as an usher at his Wichita church.
Means has testified her fears were heightened after reading a news story by The Associated Press that quoted Dillard saying in a July 2009 interview that she had developed a friendship with Roeder while he was in jail awaiting trial.
"With one move, (Roeder) was able ... to accomplish what we had not been able to do," Dillard told AP at the time. "So he followed his convictions, and I admire that."
Source
Angel Dillard's latest assertion was included in a flurry of recent defense filings in federal court. The Valley Center woman is being sued by the U.S. Justice Department under a law aimed at protecting access to abortion services.
The government's lawsuit claims Dillard, of Valley Center, threatened Dr. Mila Means when she wrote her a letter last year saying that thousands of people from across the United States were looking into the doctor's background.
"They will know your habits and routines. They know where you shop, who your friends are, what you drive, where you live," the letter said. "You will be checking under your car everyday — because maybe today is the day someone places an explosive under it."
The lawsuit, filed by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, seeks a court order that keeps Dillard from contacting Means or coming within 250 feet of Means, her home, car or business. It also seeks damages of $5,000 to Means and a civil penalty of $15,000.
Dillard responded with a lawsuit saying the government's suit violates her freedom of speech and religion. Government lawyers have criticized her arguments and asked the court to dismiss her counterclaim. Her attorney asked the court Friday allow her to amend her lawsuit to address "any pleading defects" and support its allegations.
"Angel Dillard believed she was inspired by God to send a letter to Dr. Means in an attempt to convince her not to pursue her plan to abort babies in Wichita," attorney Donald McKinney said. "Angel Dillard wrote the letter quickly, in a matter of minutes, and believed that her message was divinely inspired."
Dillard also claims the government's lawsuit and related publicity caused tension among her religious associates, resulting in her losing ministry positions at her church and a local jail. She says officials at the Sedgwick County Detention Center revoked her jail ministry privileges as a result of the lawsuit and the related government investigation of her activities at the jail.
Meanwhile, both sides are seeking more documents after settlement talks failed in April. Dillard has subpoenaed portions of records of abortions Means performed and documents related to her efforts to lease a building and obtain funding to open an abortion clinic.
The government has subpoenaed records pertaining to Dillard's jailhouse visits.
No abortions have been performed openly in Wichita since Dr. George Tiller, one of the nation's few late-term abortion providers, was fatally shot in May 2009 by anti-abortion activist Scott Roeder as the physician served as an usher at his Wichita church.
Means has testified her fears were heightened after reading a news story by The Associated Press that quoted Dillard saying in a July 2009 interview that she had developed a friendship with Roeder while he was in jail awaiting trial.
"With one move, (Roeder) was able ... to accomplish what we had not been able to do," Dillard told AP at the time. "So he followed his convictions, and I admire that."
Source