🧵So remember when Texas passed a heartbeat bill banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detectable (which can be as little as only six weeks, long before most pregnancies are detected)? You may or may not also know that the enforcement of this is outsourced: /1
enforcement of this act is not done by the state, individuals not associated with Texas state or local government (including people outside of TX suing about an abortion performed in TX) can bring civil lawsuits against *anyone involved in providing the abortion*, /2
including donating money to pay for the procedure or even driving the patient there.
If the judge finds that a preponderance of evidence The $10,000 in "injunctive relief" (to be paid by the defendant) is awarded to the people bringing the lawsuit. /3
If the judge finds that a preponderance of evidence The $10,000 in "injunctive relief" (to be paid by the defendant) is awarded to the people bringing the lawsuit. /3
Defendants may not be able to recover attorney's costs if they are exonerated (and exoneration is much harder in a civil case). Here's the bill in case you would like to peruse it: /4 capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/87R/bi…
Apparently, suits can be brought against *everyone* involved separately, but if someone drove someone to the clinic AND provided funding, they can't get hit by separate $10,000 awards for the two actions. How nice of them. /5
Texas Right To Life has created a web form with the following call to action: "If you want to help enforce the Texas Heartbeat Act anonymously, or have a tip on how you think the law has been violated, fill out the form below. We will not follow up with or contact you." /6
Now far be it from me to dwell on the fact that they're looking for anonymous leads to try and collect $10,000 bounties from medical patients for their organization that the tipster will never see, since instead I sense a possible ambiguity in their phrasing, /7
most notably "or have a tip on how you think the law has been violated." Is "the law" the aforementioned "Act," or can we assume that if they meant the Act that they would have said "Act" and therefore they mean any law in Texas (perhaps having to do with the right to life)? /8
While I will take no position on this matter, I feel that some good and right-thinking citizens might want to take the cautious approach, and take Texas Right To Life up on their possible offer of being a general tip line for any form of lawbreaking in Texas. /9
After all, counterfeit vaccination status cards threaten life, as does illegal ownership of fully-automatic firearms, willfully skirting health regulations, and being a dick in traffic (there may be an ambulance that needs to get through, after all). /10
So if you're civic-minded and are willing to take a selfless stand against lawbreaking that threatens our right to Life (and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness), then please consider using this tool that they've so helpfully provided for you. /11 prolifewhistleblower.com/anonymous-form/
Someone else beat me to the punch by a LOT, but the more the merrier!
https://twitter.com/aetherlev/status/1429102901276790790
If you plan to become a defendant in one of these lawsuits (like I do), here are some organizations in Texas that need help:
abortionfunds.org/fund/lilith-fu…
teafund.org/about/
TBH abortionfunds.org or the local Planned Parenthood are good options.
abortionfunds.org/fund/lilith-fu…
teafund.org/about/
TBH abortionfunds.org or the local Planned Parenthood are good options.
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