Above: A Little Rock police officer arrests a pro-lifer for trespassing outside Little Rock Family Planning Services on January 15, 2021.

Last week authorities in Little Rock officially dropped charges against at least four pro-lifers accused of criminal trespassing at a surgical abortion facility in 2021.

On January 15, 2021, Eva Edl of South Carolina; Chet Gallagher of Tennessee; Dennis Green of Virginia; Calvin Zastrow of Michigan; Emily Nurnberg of Kansas; and Heather Iddoni of Michigan were arrested on misdemeanor criminal trespassing for allegedly blocking the entrance to Little Rock Family Planning Services — a now-shuttered surgical abortion facility in Little Rock.

Court records show the pro-lifers were convicted in February of 2022, and each was ordered to pay a $350 fine. However, their attorney appealed the convictions, and the case has languished in court ever since.

Now a September 25 court filing shows authorities have decided not to prosecute the case any further.

Court documents indicate the State has chosen not to continue the case against Edl, Gallagher, Iddoni, and Zastrow, because the Biden Administration has pursued federal charges against them for blocking abortion facility entrances in other states.

On August 20 a federal jury in Michigan found Edl, Gallagher, Iddoni, and Zastrow guilty of Clinic Access Obstruction.

Emily Nurnberg and Dennis Green were not part of that federal case, and court documents in Little Rock show the State of Arkansas may continue prosecuting the two of them for criminal trespassing in Little Rock.

Family Council will continue monitoring and reporting on this case.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.