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Prominent Illinois Abortionist Pays Court Settlement for Trying to Run Over Pro-Lifer

Latest in series of many victories and actions by pro-life activist Michael family

By Elizabeth O’Brien

ILLINOIS, June 6, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On Friday, Chicago lawyer Jason Braddock and Tom Brejcha, the chief counsel of Chicago’s pro-life Thomas More Society, won a case against Yogendra Shah, the chief abortionist of Hope abortion Clinic in Granite City , Illinois. WorldNetDaily reports that Shah paid an unknown settlement to parents Daniel and Angela Michael and their daughter Arielle, for attempting to run over Daniel in his car and for an assault on Arielle by one of the abortion clinic escorts 7 years earlier. By  paying the money, Shah will avoid going to court.

Small Victories Ministries, run by the Michael family in Highland, Illinois, has vigorously supported the pro-life cause for 14 years through protesting, sidewalk counseling, maintaining a roving van crisis pregnancy support vancentre and bringing abortion-related issues to the attention of the government. The ministry specifically protests outside the Hope Abortion Clinic of Granite City, IL, the largest Midwest abortion clinic that allows girls to have late-term abortions without parental consent.

Father and daughter were assaulted in 2000 after persuading a woman outside the abortuary to spare her unborn child’s life. An escort roughly pushed 10-year old Arielle to the ground, and shortly afterwards one of the clinic guards started beating her father over the head with a baton. (see full coverage http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/dec/001213a.html).

Yogendra Shah is the same abortionist who caused enormous scandal in 2000 for being chief of OB/GYN at St. Elizabeth’s hospital that is just across the road from Hope Clinic, also run by Shah at the same time. While claiming to be Catholic in name, the hospital was aware of his work as an abortionist and kept him employed even after the news became public.

Angela Michael said that Shah’s work in Hope Clinic is highly successful because the surrounding States have age-restrictions for women seeking abortions. WorldNetDaily comments, “That means a rapist can bring an underage victim to Granite City and pay for an abortion, eliminating evidence of his assault.”

In March 2006, the Michael family helped the police convict Jeffery Cheshier, 41, for raping his step-daughter. Cheshier had brought his daughter from Arkansas to the Hope Clinic in order to secure for an abortion,. and here the Michael family photographed his car and license plate. and They later gave this information to the police as evidence. (see report by the Michaels http://www.smallvictoriesusa.com/News/2007/Another%20Huge%20Victory%20for%20Smal... )

Despite the size of the clinic, however, Small Victories Ministries have has been winning their own other significant battles. This past May, Angela and Daniel Michael won a federal case court case to allow greater pro-life protesting freedom along parade routes.

WQAD describes the restrictive ordinance, “Hand-held signs within 25 feet of its parade routes could be no larger than a letter-sized piece of paper.” The Michaels argued that this was a violation of the First Amendment, people’s right to freedom of speech, and District Judge William Stiehl struck down the ordinance.

Local media commented on these pro-life successes, as WorldNetDaily reports, stating , “We hope the efforts to stop the Small Victories anti-abortion group from protesting during city parades is at an end. … While we don't like their tactic of showing grisly [abortion] images during parades as a way to opposing the abortion clinic in Granite City, we certainly defend their constitutional rights to peacefully assemble and make their point."

Through the efforts of the Michael family, the pro-life movement in Granite City is receiving international recognition, and Small Victories Ministries has become a sign of hope and tireless persistence for all pro-lifers. Angela Michael told LifeSiteNews.com that recently Hope Clinic has been showing more respect to their ministry and is even opening up dialogue. In fact, one of the abortion mill’s guards converted, quit his job and joined the Michael family in protesting on the street.

Mrs. Michael says that winning these pro-life victories encourages others to fight the battle. She says, “You never know whose life you can touch. We start saving lives one baby at a time.”

See Small Victories Ministries Original Press Release on the Recent Court Settlement
http://www.smallvictoriesusa.com/News/2007/Another%20Huge%20Victory%20for%20Smal...

See Related Coverage

Mother Arrested outside Granite City Clinic trying to Save 14-year Old Daughter
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/mar/05032408.html

Abortionist Chief of Staff at Catholic Hospital
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2000/dec/00120502.html

Abortionist Shah in Trouble over Fake Abortion
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2003/may/03050608.html

Chicago’s Thomas More Society
http://thomasmoresociety.org/

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