A Life Legal affiliate attorney is in court this week in a case involving five pro-lifers who are standing trial for allegedly violating the federal FACE (“Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances”) Act.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted 11 individuals on federal criminal FACE Act (“Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances”) charges stemming from pro-life activity at Washington Surgi-Clinic, Inc., a Washington DC abortion mill. The pro-lifers gathered for a prayer vigil and to raise awareness about the horrific procedures that take place inside. Our client and several other defendants did not block access to the clinic, yet Biden’s DOJ charged them with FACE Act violations. If convicted, they face eleven years in federal prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
Washington Surgi-Clinic is run by notorious late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo, who commits abortion on babies through 27 weeks and beyond, well past the age of viability. Santangelo has been captured on video saying he would ensure the death of a child born alive during abortion, which is a violation of federal law.
In 2011, the husband of Rebecca Charland sued Santangelo for medical malpractice after his wife died during a dilation and evacuation procedure. Rebecca had suffered a miscarriage was referred to Washington Surgi-Clinic to remove the baby’s remains. According to the complaint, Santangelo neglected to timely resuscitate Rebecca or call 911 after Rebecca experienced massive uterine bleeding during the procedure.
Jury selection is currently underway in the FACE Act case. This is a challenging process, as Washington DC is extremely pro-abortion. Nearly 60% of Republicans and 80% of Democrats who live in the District believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
The federal judge overseeing the trial has not been silent about her views on abortion. Early in the case, U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly suggested that a right to abortion could be found in the Thirteenth Amendment. To support her claim, she quoted law professor Andrew Koppelman, who maintains that restrictions on abortion turn women into “a servant caste.”
Please pray for the attorneys and defendants in this case. We will keep you updated on developments as the trial continues.