Michigan man pleads no-contest after shooting elderly pro-life canvasser in 2022

The Michigan man who shot an 84-year-old pro-life woman as she was canvassing door-to-door last September has pleaded no-contest to assault and two other charges.

Richard Harvey, 75, was ordered to stand trial after he was charged with shooting Joan Jacobson as she attempted to speak with Harvey’s wife about a state constitutional amendment that made abortion a “right” in the state constitution.

Though Harvey contends that the shot was accidentally fired when he was trying to use his gun to knock a clipboard out of Jacobson’s hands, Jacobson says she was already walking back to her car when she was shot in the back.

“I no sooner saw the man when I heard the shot, and I felt pain,” said Jacobson. “I was so stunned. He didn’t say anything to me, she didn’t say anything to me, I didn’t say anything to them.” Jacobson continued to her car and drove herself to the hospital after the incident.

“I think he knew what he was doing, and I think it was intentional,” she said.

Harvey was later charged with assault, careless discharge of a gun, and reckless use of a gun, according to online records. According to the Manistee News Advocate, a no-contest plea is treated like a conviction at sentencing.

David Kallman, Jacobson’s attorney, told The Detroit News that Jacobson has been doing well since the shooting, but she still has some mobility issues. At the time, doctors had told her that the bullet very narrowly missed her spine, and she was very lucky. Kallman said that following the end of the criminal case, Jacobson intends to move forward with a civil case against Harvey.

“This is really going to be an issue of liability and how much, honestly,” Kallman said. “I really would not expect this to go to trial. But I guess that’s up to Mr. Harvey and whoever his attorney is on the civil case.”

Sentencing in the criminal case is expected to be scheduled within 4-8 weeks.

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