TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Jul 5, 2024

U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger on Wednesday sentenced four anti-abortion activists who were convicted in January on felony conspiracy charges for their roles in a 2021 clinic blockade in Mt. Juliet. The sentences, which are less than what prosecutors requested, range from six months in prison to three years of supervised release. The Associated Press reports that while the judge recognized activists' actions were based on sincerely held religious beliefs, she said that was not an excuse to break the law. The defendants used their religious fervor to “give themselves permission to ignore the pain they caused other people and ignore their own humanity,” Trauger said. Two others charged with felonies in the case will be sentenced in September. Five more people were charged with misdemeanors in April.