These pardons reverse a grave travesty of justice. The Biden Justice Department shamefully weaponized the justice system and made these pro-life Americans into political prisoners for merely defending the most precious and most vulnerable among us.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In keeping with his campaign promise, President Donald Trump signed full and unconditional pardons yesterday for 23 peaceful pro-life advocates who had been unjustly prosecuted, convicted, and imprisoned under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or FACE Act.
The advocates’ arrests and charges stem from different events, including peaceful protests in Washington, D.C., New York, Tennessee, and Michigan from 2020-2022. Most notably, in October 2020, 10 of the advocates were arrested for peacefully protesting outside a Washington, D.C. late-term abortion facility after the remains of five infants were found in its garbage. The peaceful protestors were merely objecting to the alleged illegal murder of these late-term, pre-born babies and defending their right to life where the protest temporarily impeded access to the facility and prevented some abortions from taking place. As the petition for the pardons explains, each of the advocates faced “weaponized” prosecutions by the Biden Justice Department for “mere peaceable civil disobedience” and were charged with 10-year felonies under the FACE Act and the 19th century Ku Klux Klan Act – a clear “misuse” of both laws. The petition noted that even though the trial judge for the Washington D.C. facility protest recognized protecting innocent children left to die would not violate the FACE Act, that same judge refused to hear the evidence of the facility’s “illegality” denying the pro-life advocates a fair trial.
“They should not have been prosecuted,” President Trump told reporters as he signed the pardons via executive order. “This is a great honor to sign this.”
According to the petition, these peaceful pro-life Americans who were “mistreated” by the Biden administration included grandparents, pastors, a Holocaust survivor, and a Catholic priest – all “selfless, sincere patriots.” The oldest of the advocates is 89-year-old Holocaust survivor Eva Edl who was arrested and charged for protesting at abortion clinics in Michigan and Tennessee.
The pro-lifers who received pardons are: Joan Bell, Coleman Boyd, Joel Curry, Jonathan Darnel, Eva Edl, Chester Gallagher, Herb Geraghty, William Goodman, Dennis Green, Lauren Handy, Paulette Harlow, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, Jean Marshall, Fr. Fidelis Moscinski, Justin Phillips, Paul Place, Jay Smith, Paul Vaughn, Bevelyn Beatty Williams, Calvin Zastrow, Eva Zastrow, and James Zastrow.
At least 10 of the 23 advocates were reportedly still in prison up until the pardons: Joan Bell (sentenced to 27 months in jail), Jonathan Darnell (34 months), Herb Geraghty (27 months), Lauren Handy (57 months), Paulette Harlow (24 months), John Hinshaw (21 months), Heather Idoni (24 months), Jean Marshall (24 months), Bevelyn Williams (41 months), and Calvin Zastrow (6 months).
The pardons came on the eve of the 52nd annual March for Life rally where tens of thousands of pro-life supporters are expected to converge on the nation’s capital to defend the sanctity of life.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “These pardons reverse a grave travesty of justice. The Biden Justice Department shamefully weaponized the justice system and made these pro-life Americans into political prisoners for merely defending the most precious and most vulnerable among us. Now, their freedom is restored and they can return home to their families. We commend President Donald Trump for keeping his campaign promise and pardoning these pro-life heroes. Congress must now repeal the FACE Act to prevent this abuse of law from happening again.”
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Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics.
