AUSTIN (KXAN) – Oscar Stilley says Texas abortion doctor Dr Alan Braid “has guts” – and that’s exactly why he’s suing him.

Stilley, a former lawyer, spoke up a day after filing a lawsuit in Bexar County against the San Antonio doctor, setting up the first test of the mechanism behind Senate Bill 8, the new law on abortion in Texas.

Braid published a column in the Washington Post on Saturday, titled “Why I violated Texas’ extreme abortion ban.”

Stilley, a libertarian from Arkansas, opposes SB 8, which allows private citizens to sue anyone who performs or assists with an abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy.

“I can see what the supporters of SB 8 were looking for,” he said. “They wanted to isolate a piece of legislation from judicial review, and I think that’s just plain wrong. I think this is totally wrong.

Stilley said he got down to work on his trial after reading Braid’s opinion piece on Monday morning.

“[Braid has] has a certain principle, ”Stilley said. “I like that. And I respect that. I see what he’s doing. He wants someone to press charges.

The phone number listed for Braid’s office appeared to be disconnected on Tuesday afternoon.

Stilley told KXAN he was struck off the bar after being found guilty of taxes and sentenced to 15 years of house arrest. He is currently an administrative assistant for an engineering firm and works from home.

According to the Texas Tribune, a second lawsuit was filed Monday against Braid in Bexar County by an Illinois man. The Tribune identified the man as Felipe Gomez, who is posing as a “pro-choice plaintiff” in his trial. KXAN could not reach Gomez for comment.

The Tribune also reported that Texas Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion group, was exploring its own options to defend SB 8.

“This is obviously a coup to move forward with other legal attacks on the law,” said John Seago, the group’s legislative director.