{"id":2013824,"date":"2023-08-27T20:15:01","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T00:15:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fate-of-5-dc-pro-life-activists-now-before-federal-jury\/"},"modified":"2023-08-27T20:16:11","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T00:16:11","slug":"fate-of-5-dc-pro-life-activists-now-before-federal-jury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fate-of-5-dc-pro-life-activists-now-before-federal-jury\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal jury now deciding fate of 5 DC pro-life activists."},"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\">20<\/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-5-dc-pro-life-activists-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=2013824&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 Five Defendants\u2063 in Abortion \u2062Clinic Obstruction Case\u2064 Now\u200d in the Hands of Jury<\/h2>\n<p>The fate of five individuals \u2063accused of conspiring to obstruct access to an abortion clinic in Washington, D.C. is now in the hands of a federal jury.\u200c After the prosecution and defense wrapped up their respective cases in federal court last week, the jury began \u200bdeliberations\u200d following closing arguments by attorneys. Each defendant faces up to 11 years in \u200dprison if convicted.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related 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\u200c 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 May Protect Abortion as a Federal Right, Federal Judge Says<\/a> -\u200d 2\/7\/2023<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The defendants are charged with \u201cconspiracy against rights\u201d and conspiracy under section 248 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, which \u200bis part \u200cof the\u200b Freedom of Access to Clinic\u200d Entrances (FACE) Act. According to a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) summary, \u2062section 248 states that\u2063 it is \u201cunlawful for \u200ca person to use\u200b force, \u200bthe threat of force, or physical obstruction to intentionally injure or intimidate a \u200dperson because he or she is or has been obtaining\u200d 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>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The FACE Act has faced criticism from federal lawmakers, including Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), who claims that the Biden administration selectively\u200d enforces the law. In\u200c a letter signed by Roy and other lawmakers, they\u2063 stated that\u2064 the FACE Act\u200c had \u200cbeen used more\u200d than two dozen times in 2022 \u200cagainst pro-life activists, but had never been used to\u200d indict \u200bindividuals related to an attack on\u200d a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/post-roe-pro-life-activists-vow-to-protect-mothers-and-babies-while-planned-parenthood-touts-more-at-home-abortions\/\" title=\"Post-Roe: Pro-Life Activists Vow to Protect Mothers and Babies While Planned Parenthood Touts More At-Home Abortions\">pro-life pregnancy center<\/a> or house of worship.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, Lauren Handy of Virginia and\u200c nine other defendants were\u2062 indicted for conspiring to obstruct \u2062access to the Washington \u200cSurgi-Clinic, an abortion provider. The indictment alleges that the\u2062 purpose of the conspiracy was to create a blockade to stop the\u2062 clinic from providing reproductive health services. Some in the <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\">pro-life movement refer<\/a> to \u2064this tactic as a \u201crescue\u201d because it may save an unborn human\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ stated\u200c that\u2063 as part\u200d of the\u2064 conspiracy, seven defendants traveled to Washington,\u2064 D.C. from various \u200bstates to participate in a clinic blockade that was broadcast on Facebook. Eight of \u2064the defendants forcefully entered\u2064 the clinic and blockaded two doors using their\u200d bodies, furniture, chains, and ropes. Nine defendants allegedly violated\u200b the \u2062FACE Act by using physical obstruction to\u2062 injure,\u200c intimidate, and interfere with the clinic\u2019s employees and a patient.<\/p>\n<p>If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to \u2062$350,000. The trial of Lauren Handy and\u200d four other co-defendants\u2014Herb Geraghty, Heather Idoni, William \u2064Goodman, and John Hinshaw\u2014began two weeks ago in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p>Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who was appointed\u200d in 1997 by President Bill \u2064Clinton,\u2064 ruled on Aug. 7 that the\u2062 defendants\u200c may not claim in their \u2062defense that they\u2064 took\u2064 action to shield others from bodily harm. She \u2062stated, \u201cA defendant may not \u2063don a vigilante\u2019s hood \u2062to insert themselves into a situation of\u2063 their own making\u2063 and \u200dsubsequently claim defense \u200bof a third person to justify their actions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lauren Handy, the director \u200bof activism for \u200dProgressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, describes the organization&#8217;s mission as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fate-of-5-dc-pro-life-activists-now-before-federal-jury\/\" title=\"Federal jury now deciding fate of 5 DC pro-life activists.\">mobilizing grassroots anti-abortion activists<\/a>\u2063 for direct action and educating on the exploitative influence of the Abortion Industrial Complex through an anti-capitalist lens. After being sentenced to jail time on a separate \u2063charge in July 2022, Handy expressed\u200d her commitment \u200cto\u200c her beliefs, saying, \u201cAs a Catholic \u2062and progressive myself, I am compelled \u200dby my deeply held beliefs (religious and political) to put my body between the oppressed and the oppressor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Handy\u2019s attorney, Martin A. Cannon,\u200b senior trial counsel at the Thomas More Society, a\u2063 public interest law firm, remains\u2062 cautiously optimistic. He emphasizes that \u200deach defendant should be evaluated individually, as\u2062 the prosecution \u2064has\u200c been lumping them together. Cannon believes that when examining the evidence,\u200d it becomes clear that only a few defendants may have engaged in actions prohibited by the FACE Act.<\/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":2013825,"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-2013824","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\/2013824","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=2013824"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2013824\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2013825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2013824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2013824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2013824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}