Last year, Craig Walterscheid, who has faithfully prayed outside abortion clinics for decades, was arrested and issued a citation for felony vandalism. His supposed crime? “Chalking” a sidewalk outside a public high school near the friendly neighborhood murder mill. Life Legal Senior Staff Attorney Allison Aranda represented the beleaguered activist in this case. After a year of vigilant negotiations, we are happy to announce that all charges against Walterscheid have finally been dropped.
The practice of using washable chalk on public sidewalks has been recognized as a protected form of speech ever since washable chalk became available. But apparently the Huntington Park Police Department did not think that First Amendment protections applied when it came to pro-life messages.
Craig used washable spray chalk to write out “Abortion is Murder” and “2363.org” on the public sidewalk in question. 2363.org is a campaign to raise awareness about the number of babies killed daily through abortion.
Spray chalk is frequently used in various types of protests, artwork, and even children’s games – yet none of the individuals involved in those activities have faced criminal charges. In fact, Aranda herself bought the exact same chalk that Walterscheid used and let her kids express their creativity on the public sidewalks near her home. None of them were arrested.
It is outrageous that pro-lifers are subjected time and again to frivolous charges and overzealous prosecution simply for exercising their First Amendment rights. While we are grateful that justice prevailed for Mr. Walterscheid, we know that this sort of content discrimination is not dead. Abortionists and their cronies are so afraid of the truth contained in pro-life messages that they feel compelled to suppress these messages in any way they can.
Life Legal exists to defend pro-lifers against such unconstitutional attempts to silence their speech – and our supporters can confidently expect us to pursue this mission with practiced zeal. Like you, we know that pro-life speech regularly saves lives from the busy curettes of the abortion industry.