Pro-life grandmother Heather Idoni has been sentenced to two years in prison for her role in a protest at a notorious abortion clinic in Washington, D.C.
Idoni – wearing a bright orange prison jumpsuit – was brought before radical, far-left U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on Wednesday May 22, 2024. Judge Kotelly sentenced Idoni to 24 months in federal prison, with credit for the nine months she’s already served, The Epoch Times reports.
Idoni spoke to the court before her sentence was announced.
“I have respect for this court, and I do submit to this court,” she said, adding,
My body will be placed wherever you place it. My spirit and my heart belong to the Lord. That cannot be imprisoned and that brings me great joy.
The Epoch Times notes that Idoni will go on trial again this summer in Michigan in another FACE case.
“Altogether, she is facing a maximum combined sentence of more than 50 years, possibly the longest-ever sentence for a civil rights activist. She told The Epoch Times that she expects to die in prison, and that it hurts her to miss time with her grandchildren.”
The publication notes that she has “been denied access to the Bible, which is the foundation of her life.” She and her husband have five biological children and have adopted 10 children from Ukraine.
Idoni’s sentencing comes after seven other pro-life supporters were sentenced by Judge Kotelly to anywhere from 21 months to 57 months in prison. They were all sentenced for a singular protest at the Washington Surgi-Clinic that is run by malevolent late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo.
As we’ve previously reported, “on Oct. 22, 2020, Lauren Handy and nine other activists used chains, ropes and bike locks to tie themselves together, using their bodies to block access to the Washington Surgi-Clinic. They were attempting to prevent the clinic from performing abortions that day.”
The activists were concerned that the clinic’s abortionist, Cesare Santangelo, was likely violating the Born Alive Infant Protection Act by refusing to provide life-saving care to infants born alive after a failed abortion, and/or the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. The remains of several later-term aborted babies were discovered by Ms. Handy and her associates, supporting their claims.
The U.S. Department of Justice has been prosecuting pro-life supporters under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act under 18 U.S. Code § 248 which says:
[Whoever] by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person because that person is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from, obtaining or providing reproductive health services [violates federal law].
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe, Attorney General Merrick Garland released a statement saying the DOJ “strongly disagree[d]” with the court’s ruling, calling it a “devastating blow to reproductive freedom.”
“The Justice Department will work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedom,” the attorney general said, adding the department would use the FACE Act to protect access to abortion clinics.
Shortly thereafter, the DOJ began going after various pro-life supporters, including the since-acquitted Mark Houck, while practically ignoring the hundreds of attacks on Catholic churches and pregnancy resource centers by pro-abortion activists since Roe was overturned.
Make no mistake. The U.S. judicial system has been weaponized against pro-life supporters. While pro-life advocates are sentenced to years in federal prison, pro-abortion activists who firebomb churches and pregnancy resource centers go free.
Such a double standard is unsustainable for our democratic system of government that is supposed to uphold justice and equal protection under the law.
If you are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy and want to learn more about your options, visit My Choice Network.
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