Last week, five pro-life activists were convicted of conspiracy against rights and FACE Act violations stemming from an October 2020 rescue action at the D.C.-based Washington Surgi-Center, which is operated by abortionist Cesare Santangelo. The trial for the remaining four defendants who have been indicted in relation to this particular rescue action – Jonathan Darnel, Joan Andrews Bell, Paulette Harlow, and Jean Marshall – is set to begin this week.
Although they will have a new jury, the remaining four defendants will appear before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, the same judge who presided over the trial of the five recently convicted defendants. During the trial of the first groups of defendants, Judge Kollar-Kotelly disallowed the admission of Live Action’s InHuman video into evidence, calling it “gossip from propagandists.”
She also seemed to deny the existence of federal legislation which regulates abortion, specifically, the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2007.
The first five defendants are currently incarcerated and awaiting sentencing. Via a PAAU social media update, Lauren Handy sent out this message:
I’m doing well, and I’m right where I’m supposed to be. I’ve already been able to reach out to people I’ve encountered and provide comfort and counseling. Thank you for everyone’s support.
The message, among others from Handy, is continued on PAAU’s website:
It’s not just “sad” when an unborn person is murdered, it is acutely devastating. Someone needs to feel and mourn deeply. Someone needs to love to the point of supposed uselessness.
Someone needs to Rescue.
Another social media update contained a statement from Herb Geraghty:
Please don’t worry about me.
I’ve quickly developed the skill of “looking on the bright side” to potentially a delusional degree where despite the circumstances, I really do feel at peace. …
Thank you to everyone who has been speaking out on our behalf. As you do that though, please remember to center the real victims in this injustice. While we are in here, every day unborn children are being killed by the thousands in this country. …
Whatever happens to us – they are the victims.
The pretrial hearing for Jonathan Darnel, Paulette Harlow, Jean Marshall, and Joan Andrews Bell, who is representing herself, was Tuesday, September 5. Jury selection begins on September 6.
