(TheProudRepublic.com) – For exercising his freedom of speech rights, 75-year-old pro-life activist Paulette Harlow has been unfairly sentenced to 24 months in prison for protesting at a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic in 2020.
According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Harlow was convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and for felony conspiracy following a non-jury trial overseen by Judge Colleen Collar-Kotelly.
The court determined that Harlow, along with nine co-defendants, coordinated an effort to obstruct access to the clinic.
Organizer Lauren Handy led the group and forcefully entered the facility, using their bodies, chains, furniture, and ropes to block entrances. Their actions were live streamed on social media and used as evidence.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division indicates that the FACE Act “prohibits threats of force, obstruction, and property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services.”
Judge Collar-Kotelly emphasized to Handy that her conviction was based on her actions, not her pro-life beliefs.
Likewise, the DOJ underscored that the defendants’ actions fell under the FACE Act because they acted in a manner that hurt, menaced, and interfered with clinic staff and patients, according to the press release.
As per The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property, Harlow currently suffers from diabetes, Hashimoto’s disease, and severe back pain that requires the use of a wheelchair,
LiveAction reported that Harlow’s attorney, Allen Orenberg, appealed to the judge for leniency due to her fragile health. Her husband, John Harlow, also spoke during her trial, delivering a statement on her behalf.
“I feel like Paulette is dying,” John Harlow said before the court. “In my heart, I think she’s having a hard time staying alive.”
Despite these appeals, the court sentenced her to two years in prison, reportedly allowing her to remain on house arrest until a suitable federal facility is found.
The sentencing follows similar penalties for her co-defendants. For instance, Handy received nearly five years in prison. Others received sentences ranging from 21 to 27 months.
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