(March 12, 2025 – New York, New York) On March 10, 2025, Thomas More Society attorneys successfully defeated a contempt motion filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James against peaceful pro-life advocates associated with Red Rose Rescue. During the March 10 oral argument and a series of prior hearings in court on the contempt motion, Thomas More Society attorneys provided argument and evidence rebutting the allegations brought against Red Rose Rescue by Attorney General James, whose office had accused Red Rose Rescue of violating a previous court order and asked the court to find the pro-life group in contempt. Following argument, U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth M. Karas ruled from the bench to deny Attorney General James’ request.

In December 2023, the New York Attorney General’s Office obtained a court order against Red Rose Rescue that prohibited group members from coming within 15 feet of abortion businesses in the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York “with the intent” to engage in conduct—i.e., force, threat of force, or physical obstruction—in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The court’s injunction, however, did not prohibit First Amendment-protected activity such as sidewalk counseling. In August 2024, Attorney General James requested that the court hold Red Rose Rescue in contempt, falsely claiming that a pro-life advocate allegedly affiliated with Red Rose Rescue had “accosted patients” outside of a Manhattan Planned Parenthood and violated the court-ordered buffer zone—accusations disproven through evidence, including bodycam footage, provided by Thomas More Society attorneys.  

Christopher Ferrara, Thomas More Society Senior Counsel, reacted to the ruling: “We are very pleased with the Court’s thorough and well-reasoned opinion, denying Letitia James’ attempt to further silence our pro-life clients. The evidence we provided in defense of Red Rose Rescue clearly demonstrated that that there was no violation of the injunction, including the bodycam footage showing that every claim of misconduct made by the AG’s two partisan witnesses was demonstrably false.”  

Read the January 7 and January 15, 2025 Proffer Letters, submitted by Thomas More Society attorneys on behalf of Red Rose Rescue, to U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas, in People of the State of New York, By Letitia James v. Red Rose Rescue, et al., here.