President Trump Pardons Massachusetts Pro-Lifers

This afternoon, President Trump pardoned 23 pro-life advocates who faced prosecutions, brought by the Biden Justice Department in the last few years, for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Two of these individuals are Massachusetts residents and MCFL allies.

In September 2023, President Myrna Maloney Flynn shared news of the trials, writing the following in an email to supporters:

We learned that Massachusetts resident Jean Marshall has been found guilty of violating the FACE Act, a federal law. Marshall, 72, of Kingston, and her sister Paulette, 73, are two of ten pro-life advocates charged with the violation, after they peacefully attempted to save unborn lives at a Washington, D.C. clinic in October 2020. The FACE Act, which stands for Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, comes with severe penalties if violated; Jean and the others could end up with 11-year prison sentences and up to $350,000 in fines. While we expect yesterday's decision to be appealed, it is unclear whether Jean will be released before then. She and the others were taken into custody following yesterday's finding. Paulette's trial begins on October 23. You'll find links below with more information on this story. For now, please keep Jean, Paulette and the others in your prayers. 

We hope to share comments with you from Ms. Marshall and Ms. Harlow in the coming days. Please see the following press release, which we received from the Thomas More Society PR firm, that relays details about President Trump’s actions from the Oval Office today. 

For LIFE,

The MCFL Team 

President Trump Pardons 23 Pro-Lifers Targeted by Biden Justice Department Under the FACE Act
Thomas More Society Attorneys Submitted Formal Pardon Petitions on Behalf of 21 Pro-Lifers

(January 23, 2025 – Washington, D.C.) On January 23, 2025, President Donald J. Trump granted pardons for 23 pro-life advocates who faced weaponized prosecutions brought against them by the Biden Department of Justice under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

Earlier this month, Thomas More Society attorneys submitted to the Trump administration formal requests for presidential pardons on behalf of 21 of those pro-life advocates who have been unjustly prosecuted, convicted, and in several cases, imprisoned, by the Biden DOJ. The following were the peaceful pro-life advocates on behalf of whom Thomas More Society submitted pardon requests: Joan Bell, Coleman Boyd, Joel Curry, Jonathan Darnel, Eva Edl, Chester Gallagher, William Goodman, Dennis Green, Lauren Handy, Paulette Harlow, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, Jean Marshall, Fr. Fidelis Moscinski, Justin Phillips, Paul Place, Paul Vaughn, Bevelyn Beatty Williams, Calvin Zastrow, Eva Zastrow, and James Zastrow.

In their letter submitted to President Donald J. Trump, Thomas More Society attorneys urged “that these pro-life Americans are deserving of full and unconditional pardons.” The communicated pardon request package included 21 individual pardon requests, one for each pro-life advocate, outlining the specific facts of each case, their upstanding personal and moral character, and the reasons why President Trump should grant a presidential pardon.

“Today, freedom rings in our great nation. The heroic peaceful pro-lifers unjustly imprisoned by Biden’s Justice Department will now be freed and able to return home to their families, eat a family meal, and enjoy the freedom that should have never been taken from them in the first place,” reacted Steve Crampton, Thomas More Society Senior Counsel. “These heroic peaceful pro-lifers were treated shamefully by Biden’s DOJ, with many of them branded felons and losing many rights that we take for granted as American citizens. Today, their precious freedom is restored. What happened to them can never be erased, but today’s pardons are a huge step towards restoring justice. Thank you to President Trump and his team for righting these grievous wrongs of the previous administration.” 

“Today is a new day for the pardoned pro-life advocates who have suffered FBI raids, federal prosecutions, and severe punishment for peacefully and courageously witnessing for life. We thank President Trump for keeping his promise to these pro-life mothers, fathers, grandparents, pastors, and priests,” added Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President and Head of Litigation. “What happened to these peaceful pro-life individuals must never happen again. We urge Congress to act swiftly in repealing the FACE Act to make sure that the Justice Department can never again weaponize this law to target peaceful pro-lifers with severe charges.”

Read the Pardon Request Package Cover Letter, “Re: Petitions for Pardon of 21 Peaceful Pro-Life Advocates,” addressed to President Donald J. Trump, by Thomas More Society attorneys on behalf of 21 pro-life advocates, here. For privacy reasons, the detailed individual requests are unable to be made public.

About Thomas More Society
Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and freedom. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit the website at thomasmoresociety.org.

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