(GoRealNewsNow.com) – On Tuesday, a group of six pro-life activists faced a guilty verdict, following charges brought by the Biden administration for their involvement in a peaceful 2021 protest at a Tennessee abortion clinic. This verdict means they could face up to 10.5 years in prison.
The Department of Justice accused the activists—Chet Gallagher from Tennessee, Coleman Boyd of Mississippi, Heather Idoni and Cal Zastrow of Michigan, Paul Vaughn of Tennessee, and Dennis Green of Virginia—of violating the FACE Act and conspiring against civil rights.
Their protest, which took place outside the Carafem Health Center Clinic in Mount Juliet on March 5, 2021, involved praying, singing hymns, and attempting to persuade women against having abortions.
All six were found guilty of both charges and are awaiting sentencing in July. The conspiracy charge carries a potential 10.5-year prison term, three years of supervised release, and fines up to $260,000, while the FACE Act violation could result in a year in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The trial, which lasted five days, was held at the Fred D. Thompson courthouse in Nashville, under the jurisdiction of Judge Aleta Trauger, appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1998.
A key witness for the government was Caroline Davis, who was initially arrested with the group. Davis testified about her changed perspective, admitting that her decision to join the protest was ill-considered and that the federal indictment had been a source of great fear for her.
Video evidence from the protest showed the group singing hymns like “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and “Onward Christian Soldiers,” and engaging with police officers.
Another video captured a protester encouraging a fellow participant to speak compassionately to a couple at the clinic, reminding them that a baby is a “gift from God.”