(ConservativeJournal.org) – Six people were convicted of crimes surrounding their peaceful protest of an abortion clinic in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2021. The convictions were for felonious violations of the federal FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act and carry heavy potential penalties, including up to 10.5 years in prison and $260,000 fines. The jury brought back the convictions on Tuesday, January 31st. The guilty will be sentenced in July.
A statement from the U.S. attorney who prosecuted the case suggested the convictions were a win for the rule of law while ignoring criticism that the laws are being unevenly applied to target conservatives, not just in this case, but across the country.
A group of roughly two dozen protesters were involved in the protest action, many of them left after being threatened with arrest. Some were additionally slapped with conspiracy charges.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) suggested that the Biden administration unequally enforces the law and drew parallels to violent behavior at pregnancy centers where women can receive aid and counseling to help them keep their babies. He suggested Biden will bring the full force of the federal government down on conservatives while ignoring more dangerous criminal behavior from left-wing activists.
Lee further criticized the FACE Act suggesting it’s unconstitutional and should be repealed by Congress. He highlighted how the federal government doesn’t have the authority to engage in internal policing as that is typically left to the states.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said that the government has no right to target Americans based on their religious beliefs, and that he was also in favor of repealing the FACE Act. Roy further suggested that the federal and states’ powers were separate for a reason.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee suggested that the potential sentences for the alleged offenses were completely out of line. He contrasted the lenient sentences folks received for participating in the 2020 BLM riots which did billions in damage and resulted in dozens of deaths nationwide with the potential for a decade in prison for what is tantamount to a peaceful protest.
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