Anti-Abortion Protesters to Stay Incarcerated Pending Sentencing

Five people convicted of violating a federal law that prohibits blocking access to facilities where abortions are performed will remain in custody until final sentencing, a federal judge said.

The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act creates distinct offenses, some of which are crimes of violence requiring immediate detention following a conviction, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, said Thursday.

The jury clearly convicted Lauren Handy, William Goodman, Heather Idoni, John Hinshaw, and Herb Geraghty of having committed sub-offenses that criminalized violence against a person or property, she said in a decision ...