Jury Deliberates Fate Of Six Pro-Lifers Facing 11 Years In Prison Over Peaceful Protest

[Hoodat]

Jury Deliberates Fate Of Six Pro-Lifers Facing 11 Years In Prison Over Peaceful Protest

Leif Le Mahieu  •  Jan 29, 2024

NASHVILLE — The jury is set to deliberate on the fate of six pro-lifers who face 11 years in prison after being accused by the Department of Justice for a conspiracy against rights over a peaceful protest at a Tennessee abortion facility in March 2021.

On Monday, the fourth day of the trial, lawyers for the defendants and the Department of Justice delivered their closing arguments at the Fred D. Thompson federal courthouse in Nashville, Tennessee. The pro-lifers — Chet Gallagher, Coleman Boyd, Heather Idoni, Cal Zastrow, Paul Vaughn, and Dennis Green — are charged by the government of violating the FACE Act and conspiring against rights, a charge that could lead to 11 years in prison.

The charges stem from a protest that took place in a hallway outside of a Mount Juliet abortion provider on March 5, 2021. On that day, a group of demonstrators gathered on the second floor of an office building in the hallway outside the Carafem Health Center Clinic. The group prayed, sang hymns, and urged women showing up to the clinic to not get abortions.

During closing arguments, lawyers for the defendants noted the peaceful aspect of the event, which they referred to as a “rescue,” and said that the pro-lifers never conspired to oppress, threaten, or intimidate anyone at Carafem as the government alleges.  .  .

https://www.dailywire.com/news/jury-deliberates-fate-of-six-pro-lifers-facing-11-years-in-prison-over-peaceful-protest


That's eleven years in prison for peaceful assembly.

[LMAO]

This is another example of the extreme lopsided application of laws under the Biden regime

I suppose you could say they were trespassing. But 11 years in prison?

[bigheadfred]

Found guilty.

Chet Gallagher
Coleman Boyd
Heather Idoni
Cal Zastrow
Paul Vaughn
Dennis Green

[Hoodat]

This is another example of the extreme lopsided application of laws under the Biden regime

I suppose you could say they were trespassing. But 11 years in prison?

They weren't charged with trespassing.

[Hoodat]

Pro-Life Demonstrators Found Guilty, Face Up To 11 Years In Federal Prison

Leif Le Mahieu  •  Jan 30, 2024

NASHVILLE — Six pro-lifers were found guilty on Tuesday after the Biden administration charged them over a peaceful protest at a Tennessee abortion facility in 2021. They face up to 11 years in prison.

The pro-life activists were accused by the Department of Justice of violating the FACE Act and civil rights conspiracy for a protest that took place in a hallway outside of a Mount Juliet abortion provider on March 5, 2021. On that day, a group of demonstrators gathered on the second floor of an office building in the hallway outside the Carafem Health Center Clinic. The group prayed, sang hymns, and urged women showing up to the clinic to not get abortions.

Those on trial included Chet Gallagher of Tennessee, Coleman Boyd of Mississippi, Heather Idoni of Michigan, Cal Zastrow of Michigan, Paul Vaughn of Tennessee, and Dennis Green of Virginia.

All six defendants were found guilty of both counts. They are expected to be sentenced in July.  .  .  .

https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-life-demonstrators-found-guilty-face-up-to-11-years-in-federal-prison

[Hoodat]

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10

[mountaineer]

Mike Lee
@BasedMikeLee
The FACE Act criminalizes an odd assortment of offenses, including blocking access to and vandalizing (1) abortion clinics, (2) places of worship, and (3) pregnancy centers.
How many prosecutions has Team Biden brought in the second category?
Zero. Not even one.

The Biden DOJ has enforced the FACE Act a few times in the second category (pregnancy centers). But cases involving pregnancy centers—which provide pregnant women with free counseling about non-abortion alternatives—remain infrequent relative to criminal acts against them.

As this Daily Signal article makes clear, DOJ seems to obsess over abortion access when enforcing the FACE Act, while ignoring that law’s protections for pro-life and religious institutions—even as crimes against such institutions have skyrocketed.

As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I’ve asked AG Garland for stats on DOJ’s FACE Act enforcement in the pro-life / place-of-worship context. I have yet to receive answers—even though many months have passed since I sought them & public reports of such crimes abound.

The FACE Act, it seems, is being used by DOJ to punish pro-life protesters but not their pro-abortion counterparts.

In enacting the FACE Act, moreover, Congress relied on now difficult-to-defend readings of both the Commerce Clause and the Fourteen Amendment.

I suspect most of the Republicans who voted for the FACE Act in 1994 would’ve voted differently had they anticipated the one-sided manner in which it would be enforced by DOJ. https://t.co/qcefgIXUe7

 All of this should beg the question: is the FACE Act sufficiently well written, fairly administered, and clearly appropriate as an exercise of federal lawmaking authority? I believe the answer to that question is “no”—on all three points.

For that reason, I’ve teamed up with @chiproytx to introduce the Restoring the First Amendment and Right to Civil Disobedience Act - S. 3017/H.R. 5577. My Senate cosponsors include Senators @cindyhydesmith, @RogerWicker, @JDVance1, @SenatorBraun, and @HawleyMO. Let’s add more!

https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1752428280756482441