Pro-life activist sentenced to prison time for 2021 demonstration

Four people who protested at a Tennessee abortion facility in 2021 received a variety of sentences, the Associated Press reported. One protester, Calvin Zastrow, was sentenced to six months in prison. The four sentenced were among six people convicted in January for a misdemeanor of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, known as the FACE Act, and a felony conspiracy against rights.

The four sentencing hearings wrapped up on Wednesday. Paul Vaughn—a Tennessee resident who wasn’t charged locally and has denied blocking the entrance in any way—was federally sentenced on Tuesday.

The sentencing of the other two people convicted, Heather Idoni and Chester Gallagher, has been postponed until September, according to the AP. Both face an August trial in Michigan for separate but similar charges.

What did they do? A group of pro-lifers gathered outside of an abortion facility at Mount Juliet, Tenn., in March 2021, about 20 miles from Nashville. Defense lawyers have said the group peacefully prayed, sang hymns, and tried to encourage pregnant women against having an abortion. The U.S. Department of Justice charged members of the group with conspiring to blockade the abortion facility.

What are their sentences? Defendants Paul Vaughn and Dennis Green were each sentenced to three years of supervised release, the AP reported. Coleman Boyd was sentenced to five years of probation and a $10,000 fine. Zastrow was sentenced to six months in prison and three years of supervised release. They each faced a potential sentence of up to 10 ½ years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $260,000, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Dig deeper: Read Travis Kircher’s report in The Sift on Paul Vaughn’s sentence.