RIO GRANDE CITY, TX — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a South Texas woman who claimed her rights were violated after she was arrested and charged with murder following a self-induced abortion in 2022.
Lizelle Gonzalez sought $1 million in damages, arguing she was wrongly arrested and subjected to malicious prosecution. The case drew widespread attention after local prosecutors initially pursued charges that were later dropped, with the district attorney acknowledging the arrest was a mistake.
According to court records, Gonzalez was reported to law enforcement by hospital staff after seeking medical care. Although Texas law does not allow criminal charges against individuals seeking abortions, she was arrested and spent two days in jail before the case was dismissed.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton found that prosecutors and sheriff’s deputies were protected by qualified immunity, shielding them from civil liability for actions taken in their official roles.
The lawsuit also alleged officials misled a grand jury, though the court found insufficient grounds to proceed. The district attorney previously faced professional discipline over the case but remains in office.
The ruling closes a high-profile legal dispute tied to abortion enforcement and prosecutorial authority in Texas.
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