TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Jan 30, 2025

A second round of pardons from President Donald Trump includes 11 individuals convicted for blockading a Mt. Juliet abortion clinic. The Tennessean reports that the protestors had been convicted under the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits obstruction, property damage or threats of force intended to interfere with access to reproductive health care. Prosecutors said the defendants passed out flyers, recorded video of their actions and refused to leave when asked. The president said the individuals should not have been prosecuted and noted that many were elderly. Going forward, prosecutions likely will be less common under a new Justice Department policy limiting application of the law to "extraordinary circumstances, or in cases presenting significant aggravating factors, such as death, serious bodily harm, or serious property damage."