Pro-Lifers Face Sentencing for Civil Disobedience

In October 2020, nine people entered a building in Washington, D.C. According to the Associated Press, they “began blocking the doors,” “blocked the employee entrance,” and “five of them chained themselves together on chairs.” No violence occurred.

Normally, peaceful occupation of a building would, at most, result in a trespass charge. We’ve seen that play out on campuses across the nation in recent weeks.

But the building occupied in October 2020 was not a college hall. It was an abortion center: the infamous Washington Surgi-Clinic, where human beings are killed up to the third trimester. And a federal law known as the FACE Act (for Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) gives the abortion industry special treatment. An act of non-violent civil disobedience under the FACE Act can be punished with up to eleven years of imprisonment.

The rescuers were convicted last fall and have been behind bars ever since, while they await sentencing. One of those rescuers, Heather Idoni, has been subjected to solitary confinement (reportedly for sharing food) and recently suffered a stroke.

Sentencing is finally on the horizon. On Tuesday, May 14, the Court will sentence Lauren Handy at 9:00am, John Hinshaw at 11:00am, and William Goodman at 3:00pm. On Wednesday, May 15, the Court will sentence Herb Geraghty at 9:00am, Johnathan Darnel at 11:00am, Jean Marshall at 1:30pm, and Joan Bell at 3:00pm. (Herb Geraghty’s sentencing is of particular importance to SPL; he is a personal friend and, to the best of our knowledge, the first atheist to be convicted under the FACE Act.) Finally, on May 21 at 10:30am, Paulette Harlow and Heather Idoni will receive their sentences.

We are hoping for a sentence of time served, but the judge has been hostile. The defendants are prepared for whatever may happen. As Herb put it:

Thank you to everyone who has been speaking out on our behalf. As you do that though, please remember to center the real victims in this injustice. While we are in here, every day unborn children are being killed by the thousands in this country.

PAAU: Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising is organizing a vigil outside the jail on the evening of Wednesday, May 15. Details below.