This week, seven courageous pro-life warriors were sentenced to prison for their peaceful protest against the abhorrent practices at a late-term abortion facility in Washington, D.C. These seven individuals, who stood up for the sanctity of life, were met with severe and disproportionate consequences imposed by the overreaching Biden administration.
On Tuesday, three of the protestors faced a heavy-handed judicial system, and the following day, four more were delivered similarly draconian sentences. The charges, which included violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and conspiracy against rights, could have resulted in decades-long prison terms. All seven pro-life advocates were prosecuted aggressively by a federal system that seems more interested in protecting the abortion industry than upholding the tenets of freedom and liberty.
Jonathan Darnel received 34 months, Herb Geraghty and Joan Bell 27 months each, and Jean Marshall 24 months. Lauren Handy, one of the protest leaders, was shockingly sentenced to 57 months, while John Hinshaw and William Goodman were sentenced to 21 and 27 months respectively.
Their so-called “crime”? Singing hymns, praying, and peacefully blocking entrances with chains and ropes to bring awareness to the horrors happening inside the Washington Surgi-Clinic, where late-term abortions are performed. Their actions were not violent, but rather an exercise of their First Amendment rights to free speech and assembly—rights that are supposed to be protected, not punished.
This isn’t the first time Handy has made headlines. In March 2022, authorities discovered the remains of five aborted babies at her home, which were found by the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU) activists. These remains were en route from the Washington Surgi-Clinic to be incinerated at Curtis Bay Medical Waste Facility. Instead of addressing the ethical concerns raised by this discovery, the administration chose to prosecute the whistleblowers.
Predictably, the FBI has taken a hard line, with David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office stating, “The FBI and our judicial system will not tolerate the obstruction of civil rights.” Yet, it appears their definition of “civil rights” does not extend to the unborn or those who seek to defend them.
Adding insult to injury, 59-year-old Heather Idoni, who participated in a similar protest at a Tennessee abortion clinic, is awaiting sentencing. Republican lawmakers have raised alarms about the inadequate medical care Idoni and Marshall are receiving in federal custody, highlighting a heart condition, diabetes, and necessary hip surgery that are being neglected.
The implications of these sentences go far beyond the individuals involved. This is an alarming precedent set by a federal system that seems more interested in stifling pro-life voices than in serving justice. It’s a stark reminder that in today’s America, the battle for life is also a battle for our cherished freedoms. The pro-life movement will not be silenced, and the fight for liberty in our great nation continues.
