{"id":316035,"date":"2024-07-23T13:41:48","date_gmt":"2024-07-23T18:41:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=316035"},"modified":"2024-07-23T11:17:44","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T16:17:44","slug":"pro-lifers-rally-ontario-jailed-christian-grandmother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/pro-lifers-rally-ontario-jailed-christian-grandmother\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro-lifers rally outside Ontario courthouse for jailed Christian grandmother"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

(Campaign Life Coalition<\/a>) Linda Gibbons, the 75-year-old Christian grandmother who was recently arrested and jailed for witnessing to life outside a Toronto-area abortion centre, appeared [Monday] in Ontario\u2019s Court of Justice.<\/p>\n

\n

Before Linda\u2019s scheduled 10 AM court appearance, some thirty supporters stood outside the courthouse to rally and pray for her. They held signs with messages such as \u201cRepeal the Bubble Zone,\u201d \u201cFree Linda Gibbons,\u201d and \u201cProtect Free Speech.\u201d When it came time for Linda\u2019s court appearance, they packed into the courtroom.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Linda arrived in court escorted by a female police officer. The pro-life heroine was wearing a lime green long-sleeved sweatshirt. Her hands were cuffed behind her back. As she entered the dock \u2014 a large plexiglass box at the front of the courtroom \u2014 her supporters seated at the back stood up.<\/p>\n

The judge ordered the supporters to sit back down. As a sign of respect, it\u2019s usual court protocol for attendees to rise only when the judge enters. But here, attendees were rising when the accused entered.<\/p>\n

Linda\u2019s cuffs were removed, and she sat down as the dock\u2019s door was shut and locked behind her.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning, Miss Gibbons,\u201d said Judge Kate Doorly as Linda stood up, crossed her hands behind her back and remained silent.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Gibbons?\u201d repeated Judge Doorly. Linda then crossed her hands in front, holding them near her waist. \u201cAll right, Miss Gibbons is remaining mute,\u201d said the judge.<\/p>\n

Council Scott Randev spoke first. He appeared on behalf of Council Andrew Stastny, who is assisting Christopher Assie, Province Crown from the Guns and Gangs Unit, as Linda\u2019s amicus curiae, \u201ca friend of the court.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are some charges that are going to be set down for trial,\u201d said Randev. \u201cAnd, our request today is to adjourn Miss Gibbon\u2019s matter to August 20 in this court to allow for us to set it down for a trial date.\u201d<\/p>\n

Linda stood silently in the dock the entire time, her hands folded. She moved her thumbs occasionally while gazing around the courtroom.<\/p>\n

She is facing two criminal charges of \u201cfailing to comply\u201d and \u201cmischief\u201d in relation to her four arrests, beginning in May, in front of the Abortion Clinic on Hillsdale Avenue (formerly known as the Morgentaler Clinic). The Crown said that the two charges would be \u201cjoined\u201d and agreed to the August 20 adjournment in room 901 to set a \u201cone-day trial.\u201d<\/p>\n

Linda has also been charged with three provincial offences of breaching the \u201cSafe Access to Abortion Services Act,\u201d a 2017 law which establishes a 50-150 metre bubble zone around abortion mills. The Crown asked that these charges be remanded to October 22 at 9 AM in \u201cC Court\u201d at the Old City Hall.<\/p>\n

The \u201cC Court\u201d addresses the needs of persons with mental health disabilities facing Provincial Offences Act charges in Toronto. But, the reason Linda is silent in court is not because she has a mental health issue but because she chooses to be in solidarity with pre-born children targeted for abortion who do not have a voice with which to defend themselves.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Supporters of Linda Gibbons hold signs outside the Ontario Court of Justice, July 22, 2024.<\/em><\/p>\n

During the judge’s questions about the upcoming trial, assistant council Randev said that he did not know if a time estimate had been done in a judicial pretrial. However, he confirmed that Assistant Crown Attorney Brianne Bovell had been assigned to Linda\u2019s case.<\/p>\n

At the end of the hearing, Judge Doorly agreed to remand Linda\u2019s criminal charges to August 20 at 10 AM to set a trial date. She also agreed to send Linda to \u201cC Court\u201d at Old City Hall at 9 AM on October 22 to face her three charges of breaching the province\u2019s \u201cbubble zone\u201d abortion law. The judge ordered Linda to appear \u201cin person\u201d on these dates.<\/p>\n

As the female police officer approached to collect Linda from the dock, the grandmother, with solemn dignity, approached the locked door, nodded to the officer, turned around so her back was facing the door, and put her hands behind her back. The officer opened the door, handcuffed Linda, and prepared to lead her out of the courtroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s unnecessary,\u201d one of the supporters called out from the back of the courtroom as the audible \u201cclink\u201d of the handcuffs going around Linda\u2019s wrists filled the room.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe can pray behind her back, too,\u201d said another.<\/p>\n

The judge was incensed. \u201cIf everyone can remain quiet, please. Thank you,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

But supporters continued to call out to Linda.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod bless you, Linda,\u201d said one. \u201cGod bless you,\u201d said several more. \u201cWarrior for Christ,\u201d said another. \u201cInjustice,\u201d said another.<\/p>\n

Campaign Life Coalition has created a petition in support of Linda. The petition asks Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey and Premier Doug Ford to repeal the Safe Access to Abortion Services Act and to free Linda from jail. The petition has been signed by over 1,500 people. You can add your name here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Editor’s Note: This article was published at Campaign Life Coalition<\/a> and is reprinted here with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

The DOJ put a pro-life grandmother in jail for protesting the killing of preborn children. Please take 30-seconds to TELL CONGRESS: STOP THE DOJ FROM TARGETING PRO-LIFE AMERICANS.<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Campaign Life Coalition) Linda Gibbons, the 75-year-old Christian grandmother who was recently arrested and jailed for witnessing to life outside a Toronto-area abortion centre, appeared [Monday] in Ontario\u2019s Court of Justice. Before Linda\u2019s scheduled 10 AM court appearance, some thirty supporters stood outside the courthouse to rally and pray for her. They held signs with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":405,"featured_media":316036,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[7077],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nPro-lifers rally outside Ontario courthouse for jailed Christian grandmother<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Gibbons faces two criminal charges of \u201cfailing to comply\u201d and \u201cmischief\u201d in relation to four arrests in front of an abortion facility.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/pro-lifers-rally-ontario-jailed-christian-grandmother\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Pro-lifers rally outside Ontario courthouse for 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