Trump urged to pardon 21 pro-life protesters prosecuted by Biden's Justice Department
2025-01-18
Category: political

A conservative law firm is asking President-elect Donald Trump to pardon 21 pro-life activists who were prosecuted by the Biden administration when he returns to the White House next week. Thomas More Society attorneys submitted to the incoming administration formal requests for "full and unconditional" pardons for nearly two dozen pro-life Americans who had demonstrated at abortion facilities and been convicted on charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) and conspiracy against rights. The FACE Act makes it a federal crime to use "threats of force, obstruction or inflict property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services." The 1994 law has been used by President Biden's Justice Department to aggressively prosecute pro-life activists since the fall of Roe v. Wade in June of 2022. The Thomas More Society petition calls on Trump to pardon Joan Bell, Coleman Boyd, Joel Curry, Jonathan Darnel, Eva Edl, Chester Gallagher, William Goodman, Dennis Green, Lauren Handy, Paulette Harlow, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, Jean Marshall, Fr. Fidelis Moscinski, Justin Phillips, Paul Place, Paul Vaughn, Bevelyn Beatty Williams, Calvin Zastrow, Eva Zastrow, and James Zastrow.  PRO-LIFE ACTIVISTS' YEARS-LONG PRISON SENTENCE SHOCKS SOCIAL MEDIA: ‘TWO-TIERED JUSTICE SYSTEM’ "These peaceful pro-life Americans mistreated by Biden include grandparents, pastors, a Holocaust survivor, and a Catholic priest—all are selfless, sincere patriots," the petition cover letter reads. "While Biden’s prosecutors almost entirely ignored the firebombing and vandalism of hundreds of pro-life churches and pregnancy centers, they viciously pursued pro-life Americans, obtaining convictions against them under the federal 'FACE Act' and the Ku Klux Klan Act’s 'Conspiracy Against Rights' felony provisions." "… Peaceable actions like these usually merit, at worst, a minor misdemeanor conviction. And had they been opposing anything but abortion, Joe Biden would have given them medals—instead Biden wanted them branded as ‘convicted felons’ and imprisoned for years in a federal penitentiary," the letter continues. Ten of the defendants received prison sentences ranging from 10 months to 57 months for their involvement in a 2020 "blockade" of an abortion clinic in Washington, D.C. In May, Paulette Harlow, 75, was issued a 2-year prison sentence, while Lauren Handy, 30, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison.&nbsp;  CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST MEDIA AND CULTURE NEWS In their letter to Trump, Thomas More attorneys outlined the legal rationale for why they believe the protesters' convictions were "fatally flawed and plainly unjust."&nbsp; The legal group also enclosed 21 individual pardon requests, which have not been made public, outlining the facts of each person's case, their moral character, and why they should be granted a pardon. "With these requests for presidential pardons for 21 peaceful pro-life advocates, we urge President Trump to right the grievous wrongs of the Biden administration’s weaponization of the Department of Justice," Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Steve Crampton said. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.&nbsp; "These 21 peaceful pro-lifers, many of whom are currently imprisoned for bravely standing up for unborn life, are upstanding citizens and pillars of their communities. Through full and unconditional pardons for these pro-life advocates, President Trump has the chance to remedy the harm done to them and their families, deliver on his campaign promises, and repair trust in our constitutional order," his statement continued.  FOUR MORE PRO-LIFE PROTESTERS FACE PRISON TIME AFTER BEING CONVICTED FOR VIOLATING FACE ACT Trump has criticized the Biden administration for prosecuting these pro-life protesters and signaled he would consider granting them pardons. In September 2023 at the Pray Vote Stand Summit, Trump suggested he would consider pardoning pro-life protesters who had been "unjustly persecuted" by the Biden administration. "These Marxists and Stalinists in the administration got a Washington, DC jury to convict five pro-life activists who are now facing up to 11 years in prison for simple acts of protest," Trump said. "Under Biden, others are being sentenced to 10, 15, and even 20 years in prison for retribution for their political beliefs while Antifa and other groups burned down cities like Portland, like Minneapolis." He added, "To reverse these cruel travesties of justice tonight, I’m announcing that the moment I win the election, I will appoint a special task force to rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner who’s been unjustly persecuted by the Biden administration."  CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump raised the issue again on at least two occasions in 2024. At the Faith and Freedom Coalition last June, he specifically mentioned 75-year-old Paulette Harlow's case. "Many people are in jail over this," Trump said. "… We’re going to get that taken care of immediately [on the] first day." In February 2024, in a speech to the National Religious Broadcasters in Nashville, Trump called the charges against protesters in a Tennessee case "outrageous" and pledged again to appoint a task force to review the cases "of every political prisoner who has been unjustly victimized by the Biden regime."