The San Marcos City Attorney's office confirmed yesterday that it has dismissed all criminal charges against Elena Di Ventra that arose out of a loitering citation she received in May 2010. The sidewalk counselor was represented by Life Legal Defense Foundation staff attorney Allison K. Aranda.
Ms. Di Ventra was issued a citation for loitering after she walked into a parking lot adjacent to an abortion clinic to speak with a pregnant girl and offer her life saving information about her baby. The parking lot is open to the public and Ms. Di Ventra immediately returned to the sidewalk after her brief conversation with the girl. Despite all this, the police accused her of wandering idle about the property without an apparent reason to be present.
When the matter was brought to LLDF's attention, Ms. Aranda contacted the San Marcos City Attorney's Office and demanded that the meritless criminal charge be dropped at once. The City Attorney's Office quickly reviewed the matter and agreed to dismiss the case. "We are grateful for a city attorney who respects the right to freely speak," says Dana Cody, President and Executive Director of LLDF, "particularly since Ms. Di Ventra was facing a $3,870.00 fine in this case."
Contact: Allison K. Aranda
Source: Life Legal Defense FoundationDate Published: August 24, 2010
