{"id":2013771,"date":"2023-08-27T18:11:02","date_gmt":"2023-08-27T22:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fate-of-dc-pro-life-rescuers-now-before-federal-jury\/"},"modified":"2023-08-27T18:13:45","modified_gmt":"2023-08-27T22:13:45","slug":"fate-of-dc-pro-life-rescuers-now-before-federal-jury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fate-of-dc-pro-life-rescuers-now-before-federal-jury\/","title":{"rendered":"DC Pro-Life &#8216;Rescuers&#8217; Await Verdict from Federal Jury"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffate-of-dc-pro-life-rescuers-now-before-federal-jury%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2013771&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Fate of \u200bFive Defendants in\u2062 Abortion Clinic Obstruction Case Now\u2063 in the Hands of Jury<\/h2>\n<p>The fate of \u200bfive\u200d individuals accused\u2063 of conspiring to obstruct \u200baccess to an abortion clinic in Washington,\u200c D.C. is now\u2062 in the hands of a\u200c federal jury. The prosecution and\u200b defense recently concluded their respective \u200bcases in federal court, and\u200b the\u200d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-called-floyd-family-told-them-he-is-praying-for-them-brother-says\/\" title=\"Biden Called Floyd Family, Told Them He Is Praying For Them, Brother Says\">jury began deliberations<\/a> after closing arguments.<\/p>\n<p>If \u200dconvicted, each defendant could face up to 11 years\u200b in prison.<\/p>\n<h3>Deliberations to\u2064 Resume<\/h3>\n<p>Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District \u2064Court for the District\u2064 of\u200b Columbia sent the jurors home on August 25th after they began\u200c deliberations. They are scheduled to resume their deliberations on August 29th.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related\u200c Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/trial-of-dc-pro-life-rescuers-to-begin-aug-9-post-5437867\">Trial of DC Pro-Life \u2018Rescuers\u2019 to Begin Aug. 9<\/a> &#8211; 8\/2\/2023<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/constitutions-13th-amendment-may-protect-abortion-as-a-federal-right-federal-judge-says-5039072\">Constitution&#8217;s 13th Amendment\u200b May Protect Abortion as a Federal Right, Federal\u2063 Judge\u200b Says<\/a> &#8211; 2\/7\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The defendants are charged with &#8220;conspiracy\u2064 against rights&#8221; \u2063and conspiracy \u2064under section 248 of Title 18 \u2062of the United States Code, which is part of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.<\/p>\n<p>According to a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) summary, section 248 states that it is &#8220;unlawful for\u2063 a person to\u200b use force, the threat of force, or physical\u2063 obstruction to intentionally injure or intimidate a person because he or\u200d she \u200cis or has \u2064been obtaining or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/justice-department-promises-to-protect-texas-abortion-clinics\/\" title=\"Justice Department Promises To Protect Texas Abortion Clinics\">providing reproductive health services<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The FACE Act has faced\u200d criticism from federal lawmakers, including Rep. Chip Roy \u2064(R-Texas), who claims that the Biden \u2064administration selectively\u2064 enforces the law.<\/p>\n<p>Lauren Handy of Virginia and nine other defendants were indicted \u2063in 2022 for conspiring to obstruct access to the\u2062 Washington Surgi-Clinic, which provides abortions. The indictment alleges\u2062 that their\u200b purpose was\u2063 to create a blockade to prevent the clinic from providing reproductive health services.<\/p>\n<p>Some in the pro-life movement refer to this type of direct-action tactic as a\u2064 &#8220;rescue&#8221; because it aims to save unborn \u2064lives.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ stated\u200b that as part of the\u2063 conspiracy,\u2063 seven defendants traveled to Washington, D.C. from various states to participate in a clinic blockade. \u200bEight of the defendants forcefully \u200dentered\u2062 the clinic and used\u2063 their bodies, furniture, chains, and ropes to \u2064block two\u200b clinic doors.<\/p>\n<p>Nine defendants allegedly violated the FACE Act\u200b by using physical obstruction to intimidate and interfere with clinic employees and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fate-of-dc-pro-life-rescuers-now-before-federal-jury\/\" title=\"DC Pro-Life 'Rescuers' Await Verdict from Federal Jury\">patient seeking reproductive health services<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If convicted, each \u200ddefendant could \u200cface a maximum sentence of \u206211 years in\u2063 prison, three\u2064 years of supervised release, and a fine of up\u2063 to $350,000.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Handy and four other co-defendants\u2014Herb Geraghty, Heather Idoni, William Goodman, and John Hinshaw\u2014are currently on trial in\u2062 Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>Judge Kollar-Kotelly ruled on August 7th \u200dthat \u2062the defendants may not claim in\u200b their defense that they took action to \u200cprotect others from bodily harm. She stated that without the imminent \u200bthreat of greater \u200charm \u2063or serious bodily injury, a defense of\u2064 duress or necessity\u2064 is not available.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Handy, the director of activism \u2063for Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, has expressed\u200c her beliefs and motivations for her actions. Her attorney, Martin A. Cannon, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-american-strategic-petroleum-reserve-oil-went-to-foreign-countries\/\" title=\"Why American Strategic Petroleum Reserve Oil Went to Foreign Countries\">remains cautiously optimistic<\/a>\u200d about \u200bthe outcome of the trial.<\/p>\n<p>As the trial continues, the\u2063 defense emphasizes that each defendant should be evaluated individually based on the evidence presented.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The trial of five individuals charged with conspiring to block an abortion clinic in Washington has concluded, leaving their fate in the hands of a federal jury. Both the prosecution and defense presented their cases in federal court last week. If convicted, each defendant could face a maximum sentence of 11 years in prison. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly presided over the U.S. District Court proceedings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":168,"featured_media":2013772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2013771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2013771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/168"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2013771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2013771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2013772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2013771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2013771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2013771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}