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Paulette Harlow, a pro-life activist from Kingston, Massachusetts, was among 23 individuals pardoned by President Donald Trump on January 23. The group had been convicted of violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinics Act (FACE Act), which criminalizes blocking clinic entrances or interfering with patients. Harlow was serving a two-year house arrest sentence for her involvement in an abortion clinic blockade in Washington in 2020.
The pardon came as a surprise to Harlow, who learned about it through television news. "I got a little choked up. It was very nice," she said. Her legal troubles began after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, prompting a Justice Department task force to charge activists under the FACE Act.
Chris Bell and his wife Joan Andrews Bell celebrated her pardon at the National March for Life in Washington on January 24. Joan Bell has been active in the pro-life movement since the Supreme Court legalized abortion nationwide in 1973.
Among those pardoned were several Catholics, including Father Fidelis Moscinski, who plans to continue his pro-life ministry guided by Proverbs 24:11: "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter."
Jean Marshall, Harlow's sister and fellow Secular Franciscan, expressed relief upon learning of her pardon while at a halfway house in Boston. Despite health challenges during her incarceration, Marshall remains committed to advocating for unborn rights and supporting women.
William Goodman, another pardoned activist, shared his experience of serving time at a federal prison in Connecticut and expressed gratitude for simple pleasures like seeing the sky and attending Mass.
Joan Andrews Bell described finding joy and purpose during her detention by organizing prayer groups among inmates. She plans to resume praying outside abortion clinics with members of the Apostolate of Gloria Dei.
Paul Vaughn from Centerville, Tennessee, served six months of house arrest for participating in a clinic blockade in Mount Juliet. He criticized the burdensome conditions of supervised release and vowed to challenge both the FACE Act and related civil rights charges legally.
Monica Miller faces ongoing legal challenges despite having civil suits against her organization dropped. New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed a contempt motion against one member for violating buffer zones at Planned Parenthood clinics.
The pardons marked an end to some legal battles but left unresolved issues regarding sidewalk counseling restrictions near clinics.
Kurt Jensen reports from Washington for OSV News.
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