Posted on 08/29/2023 8:56:46 PM PDT by Morgana
“Long live rescue!”
That was the rallying cry of pro-lifers amid tears in response to Tuesday’s verdict against five rescuers.
As Live Action News reported, five defendants – Lauren Handy, Herb Geraghty, Heather Idoni, Will Goodman, and John Hinshaw – were found guilty of conspiring to violate civil rights and blocking access to notorious abortionist Cesare Santangelo’s clinic in October of 2020.
The case seemed to reflect an attempt by the administration of President Biden, who claims to be a practicing Catholic, to protect abortion after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs. Each defendant faces up to 11 years in prison.
The jury convicted each defendant of violating a conspiracy law and the FACE Act, which the administration has touted as part of its post-Roe strategy. Government attorney Sanjay Patel, who was condescending in some of his remarks, had just failed to obtain a conviction for pro-lifer Mark Houck. Handy and the others, however, were convicted under FACE with two counts surrounding both the use of force and physical obstruction.
Tuesday’s hearing ended with U.S. marshals taking defendants through a side door after the DOJ requested incarceration. From the gallery, cries of “long live rescue,” “we love you,” and descriptions of the defendants as heroes could be heard as they were taken away. Goodman, who had his hands behind his back, had asked after the verdict for prayers and forgiveness for both the jury and prosecutors.
After the verdict was read, Geraghty’s attorney John Kiyonaga asked to poll the jury and each responded by concurring with the verdict.
Idoni’s, Geraghty’s, and Handy’s attorneys have said they will pursue appeals. Thomas More Society counsel Martin Cannon, who was defending Handy, said, “We are, of course, disappointed with the outcome. Ms. Handy has been condemned for her efforts to protect the lives of innocent preborn human beings. We are preparing an appeal and will continue to defend those who fight for life against a Biden Department of Justice that seems intent on prosecuting those who decry abortion and present it as it is — the intentional killing of children in utero.”
As Live Action News has noted, Kollar-Kotelly dismissed Live Action’s footage of Santangelo as “gossip” and attempted to correct Geraghty in response to a factual assertion about federal law.
During Tuesday’s hearing, Kollar-Kotelly asked the government whether they wanted to seek incarceration for the defendants, as well as whether DOJ thought they committed a crime of violence under federal law. DOJ attorney John Crabb requested some time to discuss with his co-counsel, allowing the defendants some time to briefly exit the courtroom.
Crabb eventually said he believed the defendants committed a crime of violence under 18 U.S. Code § 3156, which defines a crime of violence as “an offense that has as an element of the offense the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another” and “any other offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense.”
Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Steve Crampton blasted the decision, saying:
In an unexpected twist, the Court found that because the violation of FACE — in this case — was a crime of ‘violence,’ all five defendants must be immediately incarcerated. So, the defendants were led out of the courtroom by an army of U.S. Marshals.
This is an outrage, and the one thing the defendants had really agreed upon was to remain non-violent. The real violence is what happens during the abortion procedure.
Briefs are due September 29. Kiyonaga previewed his follow-up arguments by saying he would make arguments regarding whether there was reasonable doubt that his client, Geraghty, was guilty of the conspiracy charge.
Geraghty underwent a lengthy cross-examination last week in which Patel pressed the defendant about prior knowledge of the October 2020 rescue. Geraghty denied knowledge of various aspects of the rescue.
At least four U.S. marshals were inside the courtroom prior to the verdict. Outside, a group of at least eight officers – many of whom could be seen with “DHS” on their uniforms – stood in the hallway. Their presence offered a stark contrast to the tears shed by activists like Aimee Murphy, who preceded defendant Herb Geraghty as head of Rehumanize International.
Prior to being apprehended, defendants talked with friends in the hallway. Handy could be heard offering a statement accusing Santangelo of committing infanticide. She had cited Live Action’s 2013 video of Santangelo indicating to an undercover investigator that he wouldn’t provide certain medical measures for a baby born from a botched abortion.
A decade later, Santangelo’s operations remain largely under wraps — but both Handy and Terrisa Bukovinac, who founded Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, were able to obtain approximately 115 of Santangelo’s apparent victims outside his abortion business last year. Shortly thereafter, DOJ announced its indictment against Handy and others for their role in a rescue nearly two years prior to them finding the babies.
Live Action News reported on the horrific discovery and quoted Dr. Kathi Aultman, a former abortionist, as saying that at least one of the babies, who was still in his or her amniotic sac, appeared as though he or she could have been born alive.
Nonetheless, Kollar-Kotelly refused to admit Live Action’s video, citing a portion where Santangelo tells the investigator – a prospective patient in 2013 – that type of birth hasn’t happened at his facility. She also refused to alter jury instructions after the defense requested a provision related to the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, a federal law requiring life-saving care for abortion victims.
Following the verdict, pro-lifers stood outside singing praise and worship music. Others from PAAU held a press conference while a pro-abortion protester repeatedly tried to interrupt. At one point, the protester yelled “666 Satan!”
Defendants are awaiting sentencing and a separate batch of defendants will stand trial in September. PAAU is holding a vigil for the babies outside the D.C. jail on Tuesday evening.
11 years in prison for non-violently, temporarily impeding access to a child killing facility. USA is 2023.
She's a DPO - Democrat Party operative.
How evil 9ur government has become. It is the government who is committing crimes against humanity and using violence against those who oppose it.
PENAL CODE
TITLE 5. OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON
CHAPTER 19. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE
Sec. 19.01. TYPES OF CRIMINAL HOMICIDE.
(a) A person commits criminal homicide if he intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence causes the death of an individual
....
Sec. 19.06. APPLICABILITY TO CERTAIN CONDUCT. This chapter does not apply to the death of an unborn child if the conduct charged is:
(1) conduct committed by the mother of the unborn child;
(2) a lawful medical procedure performed by a physician or other licensed health care provider with the requisite consent, if the death of the unborn child was the intended result of the procedure;
(3) a lawful medical procedure performed by a physician or other licensed health care provider with the requisite consent as part of an assisted reproduction as defined by Section 160.102, Family Code; or
(4) the dispensation of a drug in accordance with law or administration of a drug prescribed in accordance with law.
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.19.htm
“No state shall...deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.”
Amendment XIV, Section 1
“The appellee and certain amici argue that the fetus is a “person” within the language and meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment. In support of this, they outline at length and in detail the well known facts of fetal development. If this suggestion of personhood is established, the appellant’s case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the Amendment.”
Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973)
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/410/113/#
The FACE Act also applies to dozens of crisis pregnancy centers that were attacked with actual violence, but the FBI is ignoring the actual violence.
J6 changed the game. Plan on obeying the tyrannical ruling class or life in prison. Covid lockdowns, big pharma blank checks, DACA amnesty, mask mandates, and social distancing didn’t slow the spread, it gave the left Marxist control for a while… but mail in ballots gave them tyranny for the rest of your grandchildren’s existence and beyond. And they can thank a republican prez for granting their every wish and funding it with emergency funding.
The Cares Act killed any light of freedom. Plan on obeying or imprisonment. Since 85% of Americans took the covid vax, my guess is, they will never rise from their knees again.
Non-violent pro-life demonstrators sent to prison while violent Antifa and BLM domestic terrorists almost never even get arrested, because they are the Media-Dem Party’s footsoldiers. Then the liar in charge of the DoJ says in his crackling, quavering voice, “there is only one standard of justice”.
DC is African, not America
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