A group of anti-abortion protestors who blockaded a Mt. Juliet reproductive care clinic were found guilty of several felonies by a federal jury on Tuesday. Each could face up to 10.5 years in prison and $260,000 in fines.
The six protestors were convicted of charges including conspiracy and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for blocking entrances to the carafem Health Clinic in 2021, more than a year before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. During the blockade, which lasted over two hours, protestors accused a patient trying to enter to the clinic of “coming to kill her baby,” according to court documents. One of the defendants, Coleman Boyd, brought his minor children with him to participate in the blockade and had his daughter follow a patient into the women’s restroom.
The Mt. Juliet carafem clinic no longer performs abortions due to Tennessee’s all-out ban, but it was one of the last clinics that continued to offer medication abortions until the state’s trigger ban took effect in August.
On Twitter, carafem celebrated the news of the protestors’ conviction.
“Our thanks go out to the team in Mt Juliet for their commitment to staff and client safety, that day and always,” the clinic’s national account posted. “Today was a win for justice.”
VICTORY 🎉Six anti-choice trespassers were found guilty today of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE) Act for blockading the entrance to our carafem health center in Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/BDZRLrQNMf
— carafem (@carafem) January 30, 2024
Two of the convicted, Chester Gallagher and Paul Vaughn, are from Tennessee. The other four — Heather Idoni, Calvin Zastrow, Coleman Boyd and Dennis Green — are from Michigan, Mississippi and Virginia. Sentencing for the group has been set for July 2. A seventh protestor, Caroline Davis, pleaded guilty and cooperated with the government’s investigation. Her sentencing is scheduled for Friday, but that hearing could be delayed.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM