Wyoming woman who torched abortion clinic fined nearly $300K
A Wyoming woman who set fire to a planned abortion clinic in the state has been fined nearly $300,000.
A judge on Tuesday ordered Lorna Green, 22, to pay for her destruction of Wellspring Health Access in Casper weeks before it was set to open in 2022. Green’s fire delayed the clinic’s opening by nearly a year.
She must pay $240,000 to Nationwide General Insurance Company, the clinic’s insurer; $33,500 to Christine Lichtenfels, the building’s owner; and $24,500 to Julie Burkhart, founder and president of Wellspring Health Access.
On May 25, 2022, Green broke into the Wellspring Health Access building, poured lighter fluid on the floor and in aluminum pans and then set everything on fire.
Following a lengthy investigation, Green was finally arrested in March of this year. One month later, the clinic finally opened after repairing the damage she had caused.
In June, Green pleaded guilty to a federal arson charge. She admitted to throwing a rock through a window to break into the under-construction building.
Green was sentenced in September to five years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. While she faced up to 20 years behind bars, she instead received the minimum sentence.
Wellspring Health Access was Wyoming’s second abortion clinic when it opened, but is now the only clinic in the state. Women’s Health and Family Care in Jackson closed earlier this month, citing increased costs.
Wyoming legislators passed a law in March to ban abortion starting over the summer. However, the law was challenged in court and is currently on hold. Wellspring Health Access was one of the organizations that sued to stop the law from taking effect.
With News Wire Services
