A woman’s charges have been dismissed after missing a crucial filing deadline, stated the attorneys of a pro-life activist who was allegedly punched by her in a widely circulated video. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office was unable to meet the required timeline for submitting evidence, leading to the case being dropped.
The accused, Brianna Rivers, 30, from the Bronx, supposedly struck pro-life advocate Savannah Craven Antao while she was being interviewed for the organization Live Action in New York City in April.
Rivers faced a charge of second-degree assault, but as prosecutors didn’t present evidence within the required timeframe, the case was dropped in July. Consequently, the Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based group, intends to file a civil lawsuit against Rivers for Craven Antao.
A spokesperson for Bragg’s office told the New York Post that it is “taking immediate internal steps in light” of the botched case.
A spokesperson expressed regret, stating, “Every victim deserves their day in court, and our office has reached out to apologize to Ms. Craven Antao for the unacceptable error of missing the discovery deadline.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment early Saturday.
Pro-life activist Savannah Craven Antao was punched during a street interview. (BRYAN DOZIER/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Video taken by Antao’s husband captured the moment when Rivers grew fed up with the conversation she had been having with Antao.
During the incident, the attacker, mid-speech, hit Antao twice in the face, causing Antao to stumble off camera as the aggressor left the scene.
Antao was left cut and bloodied by the altercation.
Rivers, in a Facebook post, accused Antao of inciting the attack by antagonizing her.
Rivers later wrote an apology to Savannah, acknowledging that violence isn’t the solution but also defending herself by claiming Antao is not without fault. She accused Antao of promoting a biased narrative and challenged her to release the full video footage, describing Antao as an instigator rather than a journalist. Rivers insisted, “The truth will be told.”
