6 anti-abortion protesters convicted of federal felonies in Mt. Juliet clinic blockade
Nearly three years after a group of anti-abortion protesters from across the country blocked the entrance to a Mt. Juliet reproductive health clinic, six of the defendants have been convicted of federal felonies that could translate to years of prison time.
The jury delivered the guilty verdict late Tuesday afternoon after a trial that lasted one week and featured video evidence of the group's March 2021 "blockade" of the Carafem Health Center Clinic and testimony from police, a patient and an employee at the clinic that day. It took the jury nearly all day to reach that decision, as deliberations started 9 a.m. Tuesday.
The convicted are Chester Gallagher, of Lebanon, Tennessee; Paul Vaughn, of Centerville, Tennessee; Heather Idoni and Calvin Zastrow, of Michigan; Coleman Boyd, of Bolton, Mississippi; and Dennis Green, of Cumberland, Virginia. They each face up to 10.5 years in prison and fines of up to $260,000 at their sentencings, which are scheduled for July 2, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
“These defendants knowingly chose to violate laws they disagreed with,” said Henry C. Leventis, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. “The jury’s verdict today is a victory for the rule of law in this country and a reminder that we cannot pick and choose which laws we follow. It is also a testament to the outstanding work done in this case by the trial team and our law enforcement partners.”
Attorneys identified Gallagher as the organizer of the protest. On March 5, 2021, the group arrived at the clinic before it opened and stationed themselves throughout the office building it was located in. Prosecutors said that several of those involved recorded video of their actions, including one person who was apparently making a video to instruct others how to perform a "rescue," the term some anti-abortion activists use to describe protests of abortion clinics or efforts to dissuade individuals from seeking an abortion.
The group came prepared with pre-printed flyers that stated they were “[a]cting Biblically” and “rescuing the innocent" while also anticipating their arrests, stating, "what really happened today in Mount Juliet? Police arrested peaceful, obedient Christians!"
An officer with Mt. Juliet police testified that roughly 20-25 protesters were there that day. Police responded to the scene after the protesters refused to leave when asked by property managers and disrupted other businesses in the building.
Many of the protesters left after police warned that they would be arrested.
Eleven people were indicted in October 2022 on alleged violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits interference with a person's ability to access reproductive health services. Seven of the defendants were also charged with felony conspiracy charges, while the others were charged with misdemeanor FACE Act violations. Six of those charged with felonies were convicted Monday, while one co-defendant, Caroline Davis, of Michigan, pleaded guilty in October 2023 and cooperated with the government's investigation.
Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, but her attorneys have requested that her hearing be pushed back so that the probation office can complete her presentence report.
Evan Mealins is the justice reporter for The Tennessean. Contact him at emealins@gannett.com or follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EvanMealins.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 6 anti-abortion protesters convicted of felonies in Tennessee blockade
