Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 1, 2023 / 09:46 am
The Thomas More Society, a Catholic public interest law firm based in Chicago, has filed an emergency appeal to release a pro-life activist from pre-sentencing detention after she was found guilty of federal law violations this week.
Lauren Handy was among the five anti-abortion demonstrators found guilty this week of felony violations of the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Handy and her co-activists had entered an abortion clinic in Washington, D.C., in 2020 as part of a pro-life demonstration.
Following the guilty verdict in a D.C. district court on Tuesday, the activists were remanded to jail prior to their sentencing, which the U.S. attorney in D.C. claimed was “required by statute.”
The Thomas More Society said after the verdict that it had filed an emergency motion seeking the release of Handy, whom the firm is representing. On Thursday afternoon the firm said its request had been denied and it was appealing to a higher court.