Massachusetts pro-life activist Paulette Harlow, 75, of Kingston, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on May 31, 2024, to 24 months in prison for her involvement in a "federal conspiracy against rights and Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offenses," in connection with the blockade of a Washington, D.C., area abortion provider on October 22, 2020.
Other activists were also sentenced: Lauren Handy to 57 months, John Hinshaw to 21 months, William Goodman to 27 months, Jonathan Darnel to 34 months, Herb Geraghty to 27 months, Jean Marshall to 24 months, Joan Bell to 27 months, and Heather Idoni to 24 months. Jay Smith, a 10th defendant, received a prison sentence after pleading guilty to a felony FACE Act offense on March 1, 2023, according to the US Department of Justice.
Following the announcement, Myrna Maloney Flynn, President of Massachusetts Citizens for Life, expressed hope for justice for all those sentenced, particularly Mrs. Harlow.
"We await justice for those imprisoned under the FACE Act for protesting peacefully. And we send prayers for the health and safety of Massachusetts resident Paulette Harlow and all sentenced in this discriminatory, unjust manner," she Maloney Flynn added.