‘The Judges Know It’s A Political Thing’: Michigan Court Pauses Peaceful Pro-Lifers’ Sentencing Until Trump Admin Starts
Justin Phillips says he and several other pro-life advocates sat in front of the doors of an abortion mill in Sterling Heights, Michigan on August 27, 2020, delaying a pregnant woman from entering the facility for about an hour.
For that hour of sitting, Phillips faces the prospect of over a decade in federal prison, as his attorney and others familiar with the case have confirmed. But for Phillips and others across the country charged with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, hope was sparked this week that President-Elect Donald Trump could quell the zeal of the Department of Justice (DOJ) which has in recent years been actively targeting pro-lifers engaging peacefully with women outside of abortion mills.
The FACE Act was enacted under President Bill Clinton in 1994. The law prohibits interfering with anyone seeking, obtaining, or providing so-called “reproductive health services.”
Phillips and others have been awaiting sentencing in their case, but in a status conference this week, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Leitman in Michigan’s Eastern District told attorneys to stand down.
In an order released Wednesday, Leitman paused all briefings on post-trial motions until further notice and pushed the next status conference to March 24, 2025, at the latest — well after Trump’s inauguration. (Read more from “‘The Judges Know It’s A Political Thing’: Michigan Court Pauses Peaceful Pro-Lifers’ Sentencing Until Trump Admin Starts” HERE)
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