Some history: Two W. Hartford clinic rescues took place in 1989. There was police brutality and torture, including strappado, and weeks of jail time for the non-violent, sit-in style rescuers. Originally it was to be a class action suit by over 80 individual plaintiffs with the most significant injuries. By February, 1999 John R. Kladde, Director, Connecticut Pro-Life Action Network wrote, "The case is on! Believe it or not, after nine years we finally found a committed attorney to take the W. Hartford brutality case to trial. Eighty-five rescuers with the strongest cases from the two West Hartford rescues are suing the Town of W. Hartford for the denial of civil rights through excessive force. In a civil suit such as this, each side may obtain information for trial from the other side. The essence of this case, legally is police brutality."

Judge Peter Dorsey of the U.S. District Court of Connecticut generally took 6 to 12 months to rule on each motion and was egregiously prejudiced against the pro-lifers. He ruled on the case for the entire fifteen years and dismissed the case several times, only to have higher courts reinstate and send it back to him.

Sue Verdi... was not too pleased about the cops pulling her hair out by stepping on it. Spoke of mace, infected feet after her shoes were confiscated and she was dragged up the stairs, and twisted wrists and thumbs... .Moving testimony by Eleanor Brady about her hand being swollen and blue, her arm being limp, excruciating pain from her arms and wrists being twisted while she was lifted up backwards by her arms, being denied medical help... and having sexual comments made about her ...Lillian Loughlin, poster girl for the WE rescues, recounted her ordeal. Williams' entered excellent injury photos ... Played video of Lillian being strappado'd out of bus at the courthouse, screaming all the way ...Greene testifed about having his ankles stomped on, his shoes torn off, and the cops putting fingers in the ears of people already walking....Mary Winterroth provided the most colorful testimony... she gave detailed accounts of the horror in KC3. She described how the cops bounced her while being strappado'd.... she describe the french braid by which she was dragged up the flight of stairs in the courthouse....The best part of her testimony was the dramatic physical reenactments of dragging, pulling, and strappado. At one point, she even went limp on the stand.

Cross examination - played video portion of Fr. Weslin's arrest, starting with cops standing on both his arms. Weslin is shown being dragged strappado down the hallway screaming. Strillacci denies his leg is jerking up violently because his head is bouncing off the carpet. "I can see light between his head and the floor." The screaming could be part of an act. Blowup poster of Weslin introduced. He admits sticks were improperly placed on Father's wrists... Played clip of W2 police video where Strillacci asks Herlihy, "Want that eye?" as he puts his fingers into them. He said it was only a threat and his fingers went only to his eyebrows.