US federal judge Joe Anderson, in a non-jury trial, found pro-life Christian activist Steven Lefemine, 68, guilty of violating the Freedom of Access of Clinic Entries Act (FACE ACT) after singing the popular hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty” and recited Bible verses outside an abortion clinic in Columbia, South Carolina.
On November 15, 2022, Lefemine protested abortions outside Planned Parenthood South Atlantic in Columbia by singing hymns and quoting biblical scripture.
Shortly after Lefemine’s protest began, abortion clinic staff, along with police officers, asked Lefemine to stop blocking the abortion clinic’s entrance, to which Lefemine responded that he would only leave if they “committed not to kill children today.”
At his trial, Lefemine represented himself and cited the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and biblical passages from Psalms, Exodus, Matthew, and Acts.
According to the Department of Justice, Lefemine now faces a maximum sentence of six months in federal prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Abortion Wars: It was man’s law versus God’s law in South Carolina on Monday, and man’s law prevailed.
Bible quotes didn’t help Columbia’s anti-abortion protester. Federal judge found him guiltyhttps://t.co/uwFJ5XPWYr pic.twitter.com/CB0Pakzscs
— John Monk (@jmonkatthestate) March 12, 2024
According to Yahoo News:
It was a rare court hearing in which man’s law and God’s law were debated. But on Monday in a federal court in Columbia, man’s law decided the case.
After a four-hour, non-jury trial, U.S. Judge Joe Anderson found Steven Lefemine, 68, a Bible-quoting, hymn-singing, Constitution-quoting anti-abortion activist, guilty of obstructing entry to a clinic of Columbia Planned Parenthood in November. 2022. The clinic, located off Forest Drive, provides abortions as well as numerous other aspects of reproductive and women’s health care.
It was the second case, but first conviction, in South Carolina under the Freedom of Access of Clinic Entries Act, a measure passed by Congress in 1993 in response to waves of violence and mass protests against abortion clinics nationwide. nationally at that time, in the United States. The Columbia prosecutor’s office said so.
“The defendant is now found guilty,” Anderson said after hearing evidence from three witnesses and Lefemine, who represented himself and took the stand and read – as his lawyer – about 30 questions to himself, to which he then responded.
Steven Lefemine was found guilty yesterday by a federal judge of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinics Act (FACE Act). This is the first FACE Act conviction in South Carolina and was investigated by @FBIColumbia & @ColumbiaPDSC.
Details: https://t.co/Jt3JA65fMr pic.twitter.com/Ia91HlsuJJ
— US Attorney SC (@USAO_SC) March 12, 2024