{"id":296154,"date":"2023-08-09T17:02:03","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T22:02:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=296154"},"modified":"2023-08-09T17:30:44","modified_gmt":"2023-08-09T22:30:44","slug":"trial-pro-life-activists-red-rose-rescue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/trial-pro-life-activists-red-rose-rescue\/","title":{"rendered":"Trial for pro-life activists arrested for Red Rose Rescue set to begin"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The trial for some of the pro-life activists arrested last year on charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) has begun. Nine people were arrested, but they will be tried in separate groups. Five of the nine \u2014 Lauren Handy, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, Herb Geraghty, and Will Goodman \u2014 will have their day in court beginning this week, while the other four \u2014 Joan Bell, Paulette Harlow, Jean Marshal, and Jonathan Darnel \u2014 will stand trial in September.<\/p>\n

Last year, the nine activists were arrested<\/a> for a Red Rose Rescue they led at Washington Surgi-Clinic in Washington, D.C., on October 22, 2020. This abortion facility is operated by late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo, who was the subject of one of Live Action’s undercover investigations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In an e-mail update on pretrial proceedings from Louis Joseph, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly was said to have refused a number of motions from the defense. This included motions for a necessity defense and a defense of person or persons, meaning that the pro-life activists will not be allowed to call expert witnesses or give evidence on the humanity of preborn children. The judge also reportedly refused to allow any witnesses willing to testify to the defendants’ good behavior or character.<\/p>\n

Caroline Smith, the new executive director for the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU), opened the press conference. “This is the trial of the decade of the pro-life movement,” she said. “This could be the trial that repeals the FACE Act. This could be the trial that could mean Justice for the Five<\/a>. This is so important, and I am honored to stand with all of these people behind me and next to me, as we work towards getting justice for the unborn.”<\/p>\n