Washington jury convicts five pro-life activists

The jury on Tuesday found the five pro-life activists guilty of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Authorities immediately took the pro-lifers into custody. They now await their sentencing, and their lawyers are planning an appeal.

What did these activists do? The trial, which began with jury selection on Aug. 9, centered on their participation in a 2020 sit-in at a facility in Washington, D.C., where they suspected an abortionist of performing illegal late-term abortions. Each of the activists faces the possibility of up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines up to $350,000.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’s report in Vitals about the trial proceedings.