Pro-life activist William Goodman sentenced to 27 months in prison for protesting outside of DC abortion clinic

Pro-life activist William Goodman was sentenced to 27 months in prison on Tuesday for protesting outside of a Washington, DC abortion clinic in 2020, per ABC News. Earlier in the day, Lauren Handy and John Hinshaw from the same group were sentenced.

Handy was given 57 months in prison, including 9 months already served, and Hinshaw was handed 21 months in prison. The members of the protesting group, which also included Heather Idoni, Herb Geraghty, and Jay Smith, were arrested in 2020 for blocking the entrance to the Washington Surgi-Clinic and convicted on felony conspiracy against rights and for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

Goodman, Handy and the others tied themselves together on chairs by the entrance. They sang hymns, prayed, and exclaimed that the abortion clinic was killing babies. Handy had used a false name to set up an appointment at the clinic where she said she would be obtaining an abortion and used the information to determine when to most effectively protest. The group also accused the clinic of killing babies after they were born.

Smith pleaded guilty to the charges and served 10 months in prison. Others who did not plead guilty and have yet to be sentenced face up to 11 years in prison for protesting outside the clinic.