7 pro-life activists convicted for abortion clinic blockade, face 10 years in prison

August 22, 2024

Seven pro-life activists are facing up to 10 years in prison after being convicted of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act during a 2020 abortion clinic protest in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

The Christian Post reports that the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday announced the convictions of defendants Calvin Zastrow, Eva Zastrow, Eva Edl, Chester Gallagher, Heather Idoni, Joel Curry and Justin Phillips.

According to the DOJ, the FACE Act allows charges to be pursued against anyone who “by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person because that person is or has been” providing “reproductive health services.”

Each of the seven defendants also face “felony conspiracy against rights” charges which the Thomas More Society, a legal group representing one of the defendants, is seeking to have thrown out.

Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Steve Crampton said in a statement, “Yet again, the Biden-Harris Department of Justice has decided to characterize the actions of peaceful pro-lifers as a felony ‘Conspiracy Against Rights,’ punishable by over a decade in federal prison.”

The sentencing of the seven defendants will take place at a later date.

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