{"id":297045,"date":"2023-08-23T21:16:56","date_gmt":"2023-08-24T02:16:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=297045"},"modified":"2023-08-23T21:16:56","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T02:16:56","slug":"defense-prosecution-rest-face-judge-federal-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/defense-prosecution-rest-face-judge-federal-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Defense and prosecution rest in FACE Act trial, as judge appears ignorant of federal abortion law"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The defense and prosecution in the ongoing FACE Act trial rested their cases on Wednesday, teeing up closing arguments for the following morning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Rehumanize International Executive Director Herb Geraghty took the stand for a second day as federal prosecutor Sanjay Patel peppered the defendant with questions about any advance knowledge of the rescue that took place at Washington Surgi-Center in October 2022. In addition to FACE Act violations, Geraghty and other defendants have been charged with conspiracy against civil rights. Defendants face up to 11 years in prison.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Video evidence showed Geraghty and others waiting outside of Dr. Cesare Santangelo\u2019s abortion facility, as well as what happened when the group entered the waiting room. Geraghty claimed to have been pushed into the facility\u2019s waiting area by others walking inside, and stepped out after allegedly being jabbed by someone with a broomstick. <\/span><\/p>\n

Video footage showed an individual carrying a broomstick and apparently lunging it at individuals who were trying to enter the waiting room.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

New footage, brought by the prosecution, also showed defendants and others waiting outside of the door to enter the Surgi-Clinic\u2019s waiting area. At least one woman seemed to be visibly pregnant with a large baby bump.<\/span><\/p>\n

Much of Patel\u2019s questioning focused on whether Geraghty knew in advance that individuals partaking in the rescue would use locks or try to block doorways. Geraghty dismissed the idea there was a clear plan going into the rescue and said the intent was to offer people resources. Geraghty testified to re-entering the waiting area to check on a fellow rescuer, Paulette Harlow, after she dropped to the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

At one point, Patel implied Geraghty wasn\u2019t being honest about the desire to check on Harlow. After Patel noted that the defendant had walked over Harlow, Geraghty testified to asking her if she was okay.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The jury left after Geraghty\u2019s testimony and prior to attorneys discussing jury instructions with the judge. Defense counsel requested information be included about the Born Alive Infants Protection Act (BAIPA), which mandates that infants born alive during botched abortions receive appropriate medical care.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lauren Handy, one of Geraghty\u2019s co-defendants who helped lead the rescue, has stated that she targeted Santangelo\u2019s facility after seeing a Live Action video in which the abortionist states that he wouldn\u2019t help a baby who survived an abortion attempt. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly refused, stating that Live Action\u2019s full video shows Santangelo indicating that the facility hadn\u2019t seen a baby born alive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Live Action News <\/span>previously noted<\/span><\/a>, Kollar-Kotelly derided the video as \u201cgossip from propagandists\u201d and stated that Santangelo had clearly indicated earlier in the video that he hadn\u2019t seen infants born alive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n