Pro-life advocate to resume sidewalk outreach as San Francisco case heads toward dismissal

A San Francisco prosecutor's office has agreed to dismiss a criminal case against pro-life advocate Anastasia Rogers in three months, allowing her to return to sidewalk outreach outside a Planned Parenthood facility, Life Legal Defense Foundation announced June 23.

Rogers was criminally charged in San Francisco over a short Instagram reel that prosecutors attempted to characterize as showing intimidation, according to Life Legal. A two-week trial ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict, with the overwhelming majority voting not guilty on both counts, the organization said. 

Despite that outcome, the district attorney's office initially declined to drop the case, and it was set for retrial. Life Legal said its supporters responded with prayers, phone calls, and emails urging the district attorney to end the prosecution.

“If this was a robbery case, a carjacking case, and nine or 10 jurors said ‘not guilty,’ I assure you they would never retry the case,” Rogers’ counsel, Michael Millen, told KQED, an NPR member station based in San Francisco. 

Millen told KQED he believed "political overtones" were keeping the case alive. 

The court has now agreed to dismiss the case in three months, provided Rogers remains law-abiding and follows the court's terms during that period, Life Legal said. She will be permitted to return to Planned Parenthood and resume her peaceful pro-life outreach as part of the Survivors of the Abortion Holocaust team, according to the organization.

Alexandra Snyder, CEO of Life Legal Defense Foundation, called the outcome "a tremendous answer to prayer" and said public pressure made the difference.

"Anastasia should never have been dragged through a criminal trial for peaceful pro-life advocacy," Snyder said.

She credited supporters who spoke out on Anastasia's behalf and pledged the organization would keep fighting similar cases. "When peaceful pro-life advocates are targeted by the government, Life Legal will continue to stand in the gap," she said.

Life Legal emphasized that the case is not officially over until it is dismissed and asked supporters to continue praying for Rogers' protection and courage during the next three months.