In a recent development, a judge has ordered a woman to pay approximately $298,000 in restitution for setting fire to Wyoming's only full-service abortion clinic. Lorna Green, 22, is currently serving a five-year prison term for the arson attack that gutted the clinic while it was undergoing renovations.

The fire at Wellspring Health Access in Casper occurred in 2022, causing significant damage and delaying the clinic's opening by almost a year. Following its subsequent opening in April of this year, Wellspring now stands as the sole abortion clinic in Wyoming after another facility offering pill abortions had to close due to rising costs in December.

On Tuesday, US District Judge Alan Johnson issued the restitution order, which included a payment of $240,000 to Nationwide General Insurance Company, the clinic's insurer. Green was also ordered to pay $33,500 to the building's owner, Christine Lichtenfels, and $24,500 to Julie Burkhart, the founder and president of Wellspring Health Access. Burkhart expressed her satisfaction with the court's decision.

The restitution amount granted to the prosecution's request was unopposed by Green's attorney, Ryan Semerad, who reiterated his client's regret and expressed hope for her fruitful and peaceful future post-incarceration.

Green, a mechanical engineering student at Casper College, admitted to the crime and attributed it to anxiety and nightmares surrounding the clinic. Although no prior anti-abortion sentiments were detected on her social media accounts, she expressed her opposition to abortion to investigators.

Investigators faced challenges in making progress on the case initially, but after increasing the reward to $15,000, they received tips that ultimately led to Green's arrest in March.

In June, Green pleaded guilty to arson and received the minimum prison sentence. She could have faced up to 20 years behind bars for her actions.

This incident occurred against the backdrop of new legislation in Wyoming that aims to severely limit access to abortion. The laws, which include the country's first explicit ban on abortion pills, have been temporarily halted by a judge following a lawsuit filed by four women and two non-profit organizations, including Wellspring Health Access.

Wyoming District Judge Melissa Owens is currently reviewing arguments in the lawsuit, and her decision will likely be appealed, potentially taking Wyoming's abortion laws to the state supreme court.

As the legal battle over abortion access continues in Wyoming, this substantial restitution order highlights the serious consequences individuals may face for engaging in acts of violence against reproductive healthcare facilities.