A California jury last week deadlocked in a case concerning a pro-life advocate who was arrested last year over a social media post deemed “threatening” to workers at abortion facilities.
The case began in 2025 when Anastasia Rogers was arrested while sidewalk-counseling outside a Planned Parenthood location in San Francisco, according to Life Legal, which is coordinating Rogers’ legal defense. Authorities later told Rogers that a warrant was issued for her arrest after she posted a video on Instagram that contrasted her peaceful sidewalk-counseling efforts with the violent realities of abortion, Life Legal said.
Prosecutors charged Rogers with intimidation under the Freedom of Access to Clinic and Church Entrances (FACE) Act, arguing that the video constituted illegal intimidation of escorts at abortion facilities.
However, a jury could not reach a unanimous decision in the case June 5, with Life Legal reporting that “a substantial majority of jurors rejected the prosecution’s theory of the case.”
Alexandra Snyder, Life Legal Foundation CEO, stated in a release that the prosecution should never have occurred, adding, “After nearly two weeks of trial, not only did the State fail to convince the jury that she [Rogers] committed a crime, but ten San Francisco jurors voted to find her not guilty.”
Snyder stated that the mistrial is a wake-up call for Americans regarding free speech and other constitutionally protected rights.
“Americans should be deeply concerned when protected speech becomes the basis for criminal prosecution,” she said. “Today’s mistrial is an important reminder that our constitutional freedoms do not disappear simply because someone disagrees with a speaker’s viewpoint.”
Due to the jury’s failure to return a decision, Rogers’ case headed to a follow-up hearing the morning of June 8 to determine next steps. According to Life Legal, the San Francisco District Attorney’s office may attempt to retry the charges; however, one of the legal organization’s attorneys said she considers that extremely unlikely.