The convicted face years in prison for protesting abortion, which is no longer legal in Tennessee
The six pro-life advocates facing more than a decade in federal prison heard back from a Nashville jury of five men and 11 women on Jan. 30 with a verdict of guilty on all counts. They were not taken into custody and will be sentenced on July 2.
They were charged with felony violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrance (FACE) Act, and conspiracy to violate the FACE Act for trying to talk women out of aborting their babies at a now-closed abortion clinic. They were among a group who read from the Bible, sang church hymns, and in some cases, blocked the door to Carafem Health Center in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.
Court testimony from a police officer said the group moved from the door when asked that they were peaceful.
The incident occurred in March 2021. In August 2022, Tennessee changed its law, making abortion illegal in most cases.
In October 2022, the Department of Justice arrested 11 people who participated in the 2021 incident. Of those, the six found guilty face up to 11 years in federal prison. Another four face lesser charges. Their trial is to be scheduled now that the case for the first six has wrapped up.
One woman charged, Caroline Davis, pleaded guilty and became a witness for the DOJ.
Attorney Reacts
The six convicted are Paul Vaughn and Chester Gallagher, both of Tennessee; Heather Idoni and Calvin Zastrow of Michigan; Coleman Boyd of Mississippi; and Dennis Green of Virginia. Ms. Idoni is already in prison for a previous FACE Act violation.
The defendants were represented by different attorneys. The Thomas More Society attorneys who represented Mr. Vaughn said in a statement they expect to appeal the conviction.
The four charged with the FACE Act alone are Eva Edl of South Carolina, Eva Zastrow of Arkansas, James Zastrow of Missouri, and Paul Place of Tennessee.
By Beth Brelje
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