Local News in Brief : Anti-Abortionists Face Protest Costs
The Los Angeles city attorney’s office said Thursday that it would seek restitution for police investigative costs from more than 300 Operation Rescue demonstrators arrested during anti-abortion protests.
Judges would be asked to impose restitution as a condition of probation, reducing “the defendant’s ability to participate in unlawful demonstrations,” said a joint statement from the city attorney’s office and the Los Angeles Police Department.
The spokesman said he is not aware of restitution ever being sought before from individuals arrested during mass protests. He added, however, that “it is common to ask for investigative costs in slum-landlord cases and consumer-fraud cases.”
City Atty. James K. Hahn has also said that he will consider filing a civil suit against Operation Rescue to recover the costs, to be determined after all police operations involving the protests have been ended.
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