Prosecutors drop charges against pro-life activist after failed attempt at ‘bait-and-switch’

On Friday, prosecutors dropped charges against a pro-life activist who was arrested in December while advocating for preborn babies outside an Ohio abortion facility.

According to the ACLJ (the American Center for Law and Justice), Zachary Knotts appeared in court last week to stand trial for disorderly conduct in relation to a protest outside of Northeast Ohio Women’s Clinic in Cuyahoga Falls, during which the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department (CFPD) arrested him for disorderly conduct.

The trial was already underway when prosecutors attempted to rewrite the charges.

“We immediately objected to the bait-and-switch,” said Knotts’ attorneys with the ACLJ. “The prosecution then tried to have the trial rescheduled for a later date. We held firm. Enough was enough. Zack had waited too long to have his day in court, and we weren’t going to allow the government to continue delaying this matter, which amounted to a little more than a trumped-up noise ordinance violation. Our client had a right to a speedy trial to clear his name, and justice couldn’t wait another day.”

After the back-and-forth played out in front of a packed courtroom, the prosecution ultimately and completely dismissed the charges against Knotts, ending the four-month ordeal.

It was on December 28, 2024, when Knotts and his wife Lindsay were outside the abortion facility peacefully speaking out against abortion. The facility’s escorts used umbrellas, whistles, and kazoos to try to harass the couple and prevent women from hearing what they had to say. The escorts also allegedly threatened the couple, telling them to “Kiss a shotgun” and even implied that they would kill Lindsay. After she said her mother had considered an abortion while she was pregnant with her, and that she “should be dead,” an escort replied, “We can fix that.”

The police, however, arrested Knotts for disorderly conduct, taking the statement of one witness — the abortion facility’s security officer — who is also a fellow CFPD police officer.

“Even more troubling, Sgt. Dobney – the lead officer – admitted he never personally witnessed Zack use the megaphone and that he’d relied on alleged ‘recordings’ never shown to Zack or his counsel,” said the ACLJ. “That’s not right; government officials are prohibited from retaliation because of the exercise of protected speech. The facts made it clear: That’s exactly what happened.”

The ACLJ noted:

Zack and Lindsay never left the public sidewalk. They never blocked access to the abortion clinic. They never threatened anyone. The same cannot be said for those who tried to silence them. What happened here wasn’t just a mistake – it was a warning shot to pro-lifers everywhere: Speak out, and we’ll come for you. But today’s dismissal shows what can happen when you refuse to back down.

The ACLJ is currently considering filing a federal civil rights lawsuit to hold government officials and law enforcement accountable when they abuse their power.