Shortly after President Trump pardoned 23 pro-life activists on Thursday, images and videos began to circulate on social media celebrating their releases.
Bevelyn Beatty Williams
Bevelyn Beatty Williams was sentenced to 41 months in a federal prison in Alabama on charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) during a two-day protest outside a New York City Planned Parenthood in June of 2020. She was put in prison more than four years later even though she was not arrested at the time of the protest (despite police officers being on the scene), and no investigation was opened for more than two years.
A wife and mother of a young daughter, Williams was ecstatic and grateful to be reunited with them after three long months. Video shared on Facebook shows the emotional moment that Bevelyn was reunited with her family. She hugged and kissed her husband and daughter and the three had huge smiles on their faces.
“I’m home. I’m free!” she said. “I’m free, ya’ll. I’m free. I’m really free!”
“Thank you, Jesus. The Lord is Good!” said her husband Ricky.
Williams is now home, spending time with her family, and has asked for everyone’s patience as she is “spiritually and emotionally exhausted.”
Herb Geraghty
On October 14, 2022, Herb Geraghty was indicted on federal charges under the FACE Act stemming from a pro-life rescue that had taken place at the Washington Surgi-Clinic abortion facility in Washington, D.C., on October 22, 2020. Geraghty was sentenced to 27 months in prison. That rescue was inspired by Live Action’s InHuman undercover investigation video which showed the abortionist at the facility, Cesare Santangelo, admitting that if a child was born alive in his facility during an abortion, “we would not help it.” Abortions are carried out at that facility up to “27 plus weeks” (emphasis added).
I’ll be celebrating with friends and loved ones this weekend but the work doesn’t stop toward seeking justice for the unborn and liberation for us all from this culture of death and exploitation.
☮️🩷 pic.twitter.com/0IqZEb6JH7
— Herb (@HerbGeraghty) January 24, 2025
Upon release, Geraghty shared on X, “I’ll be celebrating with friends and loved ones this weekend but the world doesn’t stop toward seeking justice for the unborn and liberation for us all from this culture of death and exploitation.”
Joan Andrews Bell
Joan Andrews Bell has been involved in pro-life activism for decades. Since she began her rescue work, she has been arrested more than 200 times and has spent more than six years combined in prison as a result, including a combined two and a half years in solitary confinement.
Joan Bell has been pardoned and released from federal custody. Thank you @POTUS. pic.twitter.com/7019ayKTKJ
— Thomas More Society (@ThomasMoreSoc) January 24, 2025
Bell was recently imprisoned on federal charges for rescue action she took alongside Geraghty and other pro-lifers to save babies from abortion in October 2020 at the Washington Surgi-Clinic Center. Like her fellow activists, Bell was charged with conspiracy against rights and a FACE Act offense. For that activism, Bell was sentenced to 27 months in prison with credit for time served.
Upon her release in the early morning hours on Friday, Bell made her way to the 52nd annual March for Life in Washington D.C. to march for the right to life of preborn babies. During the march, she told LifeSiteNews, “Just being released on the day of the March for Life, it’s so incredible. Yesterday, I didn’t know I was gonna be getting out. I had no idea or anything like that. Thought it was probably not gonna happen and then all of a sudden, I hear we’re being released. It was just amazing. Just so amazing. And to get released on this day, the day of the March for Life. It’s just incredible.”
Her husband, Chris, wrote on Facebook, “President Trump kept another promise and freed my wife along with other prolifers unjustly persecuted by the Biden Department for Justice for peacefully trying to help mothers have their babies and not be scared [sic] for life after a late-term abortion.”
Lauren Handy
Lauren Handy received the longest sentence of the pro-life activists, being sentenced to 57 months — nearly five years — in prison for her part in the pro-life rescue work at Washington Surgi-Center. She served 17 months before Trump’s pardon.
Statement from Lauren Handy upon her release from federal prison:
“These past 17 months living under incarcerated conditions have been challenging but deeply transformative. During this time I’ve never wavered on the principle that preborn people have the right to exist free…
— PAAU (@PAAUNOW) January 24, 2025
Handy has said that she was motivated to action to save preborn children from abortion after watching that 2013 Live Action undercover video of abortionist Santangelo.
Upon her release, Handy said, “These past 17 months living under incarcerated conditions have been challenging but deeply transformative. During this time I’ve never wavered on the principle that preborn people have the right to exist free from violence and I know that wherever there is abortion, there will be people willing to put their bodies between the oppressed and the oppressor. The future is bright and full of love.”
