{"id":296861,"date":"2023-08-21T18:40:49","date_gmt":"2023-08-21T23:40:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=296861"},"modified":"2023-08-21T16:59:53","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T21:59:53","slug":"arresting-officers-take-stand-face-act-trial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/arresting-officers-take-stand-face-act-trial\/","title":{"rendered":"Arresting officers take stand at FACE Act trial in DC as judge warns religious pro-lifers on-site"},"content":{"rendered":"
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August 21 was the third day of witness testimony in the federal case against five pro-life activists \u2014 Lauren Handy, Will Goodman, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, and Herb Geraghty. The activists are charged with a felony count of conspiracy against civil rights as well as violations of the <\/span>FACE act<\/span><\/a>. Each faces a grand total of 11 years in prison.<\/span><\/p>\n

Four witnesses appeared for the prosecution, including FBI Special Agent Michael Biscardi, who concluded his testimony, begun last Thursday. Two other law enforcement officers who had experience responding to pro-life rescue actions at other facilities also testified.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of these witnesses, Montgomery County Police Officer Mary Digilio, testified that rescuers sat peacefully in the waiting room when she arrived on the scene at the Silver Spring Family Planning Clinic in Maryland on January 30, 2021. One rescuer, identified as Jonathan Darnel (who has also been indicted for his participation in the Washington Surgi-Clinic rescue, but is being tried separately from this group of defendants), reportedly told Officer Digilio: \u201cThe purpose here is not to hurt anybody, we are just here to save lives.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

According to Digilio, defendant Lauren Handy told arresting officers: \u201cIf you arrest us, the blood of these children will be on your hands. You\u2019ll be participating in murder.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The fourth witness to testify today was Washington Surgi-Clinic employee \u201cTina Smith\u201d (alias). According to this witness, \u201cmost\u201d of the Surgi-Clinic\u2019s clients are victims of rape, incest, or sexual abuse, and\/or are in difficult medical situations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, according to the pro-abortion <\/span>Guttmacher Institute<\/span><\/a>, which analyzes data related to abortion, just \u201c1% [of abortion seekers] indicated that they had been victims of rape, and less than half a percent said they became pregnant as a result of incest.\u201d Though what exactly constitutes a \u201cdifficult medical situation\u201d is impossible to define by mere speculation, Guttmacher reports that only one-fourth of abortion seekers cited a <\/span>potential<\/span><\/i> (not necessarily actual) risk to the mother\u2019s or child\u2019s health as a primary reason for abortion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n