Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative
What's At Stake
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is having life-altering and life-threatening consequences for women and other people who can become pregnant. The decision revoked the federal constitutional right to abortion, and with it our agency over our health, our lives, and our futures. In some states, the government may now prosecute people involved in abortion care.
This unprecedented moment in the fight for reproductive rights demands a nationwide system to ensure that health care providers, individuals that provide funding and practical support, and patients know that they will have access to a zealous defense should they be prosecuted. No one should have to navigate the injustice of this system alone.
Our Approach
The Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative is one way the ACLU is confronting the criminalization of abortion care in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade.
Through this initiative, the ACLU is establishing and working alongside a network of experienced criminal defense attorneys prepared to defend those facing prosecution related to abortion care.
As we continue to work towards a world where everyone can get the reproductive health care they need, we won’t back down from defending the rights and dignity of individuals to make decisions about their bodies and their futures.
Lauren Johnson
Director
Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative
As Director, Lauren oversees and directs the ACDI’s advocacy and support of its criminal defense network. As a trial attorney at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, Lauren represented clients charged with serious felonies in trials and related proceedings. She has also led civil rights litigation and policy advocacy to challenge systemic injustice within criminal legal systems across the country.
Lauren Johnson
Yasmin Cader
Deputy Legal Director
ACLU
Yasmin Cader is the Director of the Trone Center for Justice and Equality, which encompasses the National Prison Project, the Criminal Law Reform Project, the Racial Justice Program, the Capital Punishment Project, as well as the John Adams project. Yasmin worked as a criminal defense lawyer attorney for over 25 years, including as a state and federal public defender in Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles, as well as in private practice.
Yasmin Cader
Jennifer Dalven
Director
Reproductive Freedom Project
As Director, Jen oversees and directs the ACLU’s litigation on issues affecting access to abortion and other reproductive health care.
Jennifer DalvenAbout The Initiative
By criminalizing essential healthcare, politicians and prosecutors deny the humanity of people who become pregnant, seeking to control their bodies, and determine their futures. And the people who are most likely to be investigated and prosecuted as a result of this criminalization are Black, Brown, and those with low incomes. We are here and we are ready to fight on your behalf.
As ACDI Director Lauren Johnson says, “They will not stand alone.”
How We Are Fighting Back
Combining our expertise in criminal defense and reproductive freedom, the Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative will provide a zealous defense for providers, supporters, and patients.
Learn More About The Issues On This Page
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