Members of a pro-life ministry arrested for allegedly blocking the entrance to an abortion mill were convicted in a federal court of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and engaging in a “Conspiracy Against Rights,” under a portion of federal law intended for use against racist vigilante groups like the KKK.
“On August 20, 2024, following an 11-day trial in Detroit, Michigan, federal court, seven pro-life advocates were found guilty on charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and engaging in a “Conspiracy Against Rights” – charges brought by the Biden-Harris Department of Justice,” reports the Thomas More Society, a pro-life nonprofit that provides legal aid to the pro-life movement and “aided Chester Gallagher, a former police officer, who opted to present defense arguments on his own behalf.”
The conviction is part of a harsh new Biden administration campaign of harassment and persecution of Catholics and pro-life Americans, even as liberal domestic terrorists carry out a campaign of vandalism and firebombing of pregnancy aid centers and Catholic churches.
“The combination of FACE Act and ‘Conspiracy Against Rights’ charges—recently deployed by the Biden-Harris DOJ to prosecute peaceful life advocates, including Lauren Handy, Paul Vaughn, and others—carries a potential sentence of more than 10 years in prison,” Thomas More reports.
“In pre-trial proceedings, Thomas More Society attorneys filed a Motion to Dismiss the felony ‘Conspiracy Against Rights’ charge, arguing that the United States Supreme Court’s June 28, 2024, decision in Fischer v. United States prevents the Department of Justice’s use of the statute to multiply the potential prison time associated with non-violent, first-time FACE Act charges,” the group notes.
“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,” said Steve Crampton, Thomas More Society Senior Counsel.
“After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we believe the FACE Act to be unconstitutional, and we will continue to advocate on behalf of peaceful pro-life citizens like Chet Gallagher, Lauren Handy, and Paul Vaughn, who have been targeted with harsh prosecution by this Department of Justice. We are optimistic that our Motion to Dismiss the felony conspiracy charges will receive full and fair consideration before the Court. We also believe that the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Fischer v. United States confirms that the Department of Justice’s novel strategy to inflict maximize pain upon peaceful pro-lifers by adding a charge of felony Conspiracy Against Rights cannot be squared with the law and we stand ready to make that case,” said Crampton.
Thomas More notes the so-called “Conspiracy Against Rights” statute is “a part of the ‘Ku Klux Klan Act,’ was passed in 1870 primarily to guard the rights of recently emancipated African Americans, as granted by the Reconstruction Amendments, against rampant violence by groups like the Ku Klux Klan. More recently, however, the Biden-Harris DOJ has used a novel reinterpretation of the law to apply this federal felony conspiracy statute against peaceful pro-life advocates who demonstrate abortion.”
“U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Leitman has taken the motion under advisement and has set a full briefing schedule for the Motion to Dismiss to be argued and considered,” Thomas More notes.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
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Of course the KKK act will be used by America’s KKK and Jim Crow racist against people who protest their baby killing
The FIrst Amendment gives us freedom of speech! That is Constitutional Law ! We shall never give up on free speech. This Communistic Regime would like to enslave all of us to abortion at any stage of pregnancy, allow children to change their sex at any age although they need to be 18 or older to drink! Walz proved to those of us in MN that he has his own agenda and made MN a sanctuary state where anyone could come and obtain a free abortion at any stage of pregnancy; even after the baby is born it’s life may be ended!