The Department of Justice announced a significant legal outcome on Friday, sentencing 75-year-old Paula Paulette Harlow to two years in prison.
Harlow's crime was participating in a conspiracy to block pregnant women from entering an abortion clinic in Washington, D.C., a direct violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
Harlow, hailing from Kingston, Massachusetts, was the last of ten defendants to be sentenced in this high-profile case. Most of her co-conspirators also received sentences of at least two years. This sentencing follows closely on the heels of another notable case where six pro-life demonstrators were found guilty and faced sentences of up to 10.5 years in prison for a peaceful protest at a Tennessee abortion facility in 2021, as reported by The Daily Wire.
Kotelly sentenced Harlow to 24 months in prison.
At the end of the hearing, Kotelly advised Harlow to honor the "tenets" of her religion and not die in jail.
Make no mistake--this wasn't a compassionate comment, it was a warning made by an activist Democratic judge that the… pic.twitter.com/20xrYb0hTZ
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) June 12, 2024
The DOJ presented compelling evidence detailing the events of October 22, 2020. On that day, Lauren Handy, along with Jonathan Darnel, John Hinshaw, William Goodman, Jean Marshall, Joan Bell, Herb Geraghty, Heather Idoni, Paula Harlow, and others, forcefully entered the D.C. clinic.
They blocked two clinic doors using their bodies, furniture, chains, and ropes, and live-streamed their actions. The DOJ argued that their blockade was a deliberate violation of the FACE Act, designed to intimidate and interfere with the clinic’s employees and patients seeking reproductive health services.
The consequences for the key players were severe. Lauren Handy, already entangled in legal issues for similar actions at two Ohio abortion facilities, was sentenced on May 14 to nearly five years in prison and three years of supervised release. Seventy-six-year-old Joan Bell received a 27-month prison sentence, while Jean Marshall, 74, was sentenced to two years. Jay Smith, 34, from New York, was the only defendant to plead guilty and was sentenced to 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
The investigation into the D.C. clinic blockade was thorough, involving the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office. The case highlights President Joe Biden's stringent stance on pro-life demonstrations during his term, underscoring his commitment to defending abortion rights.
The FACE Act, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton 30 years ago, has become a crucial tool for the Biden administration in prosecuting pro-life activists. However, its application has drawn criticism from some Republicans, such as Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who argue that the act is being misused to target ordinary Americans across the political spectrum. Roy and others have called for the repeal of the FACE Act, labeling its enforcement as an overreach of federal power.