Texas man suing over abortion accused of abuse in courtroom docs
GALVESTON, Texas — A person who filed a lawsuit in Texas in opposition to three girls he mentioned helped his now-ex-wife receive remedy for an abortion is accused in a brand new courtroom submitting of utilizing the lawsuit as an extension of the manipulative, controlling and emotionally abusive conduct he displayed towards her throughout their marriage.
Marcus Silva had discovered the primary tablet that begins a medicine abortion whereas secretly going via his then-wife’s purse final summer season however as a substitute of speaking to her about it or throwing it away, he took pictures of textual content messages on her telephone between her and two of her buddies, in accordance with a doc filed Monday on behalf of these buddies, who’re two of the defendants in Silva’s lawsuit.
The submitting, which asks for Silva’s claims to be dismissed, says Silva broke the legislation by accessing his spouse’s telephone with out her consent, and invaded her buddies’ privateness by studying her textual content exchanges with them.
“He wasn’t enthusiastic about stopping her from terminating a potential being pregnant,” the submitting mentioned. “As a substitute, he wished to acquire proof he might use in opposition to her if she refused to remain beneath his management, which is exactly what he tried to do.”
Silva’s lawsuit, filed in March in Galveston County, says one of many two buddies organized the supply of the abortion remedy via the third lady, who can be named as a defendant.
Houston lawyer Rusty Hardin is representing the 2 defendants who had been buddies with Silva’s spouse. Hardin’s two shoppers, the submitting says, talked to Silva’s spouse about her choices, shared info on sources and supported her resolution to self-administer abortion remedy.
Silva’s spouse filed for divorce in Could 2022, however continued to dwell with him, the submitting mentioned. She took the remedy in July 2022, weeks after the Supreme Court docket struck down the constitutional proper to abortion that had been in place since 1973. Their divorce was finalized this February and Silva filed the lawsuit the following month.
Silva’s lawsuit is one other check of state-enforced abortion bans because the U.S. Supreme Court docket overturned the Roe v. Wade resolution. Texas has one of many strictest bans within the nation, outlawing the process in almost each case excluding medical emergencies.
Texas legislation protects girls who get an abortion from being held liable.
Silva is being represented by Jonathan Mitchell — a former Texas solicitor common who helped create one of many state’s abortion bans. Mitchell didn’t instantly return a name for touch upon Tuesday.