U.S. Federal Judge Joe Anderson, in a non-jury trial, found Christian pro-life activist Steven Lefemine, 68, guilty of violating the Freedom of Access of Clinic Entrances Act (FACE ACT) after he sang the popular hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty” and recited Bible verses outside of an abortion clinic in Columbia, South Carolina.
On November 15, 2022, Lefemine was protesting against abortions outside the Planned Parenthood South Atlantic in Columbia by singing hymns and quoting Bible scriptures.
Shortly after Lefemine’s protest began, the staff of the abortion clinic, along with the police officers, asked Lefemine to stop blocking the entrance of the abortion clinic, to which Lefemine replied he would only leave if “They agree not to kill babies today.”
At his trial, Lefemine represented himself and cited the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and Bible passages from Psalms, Exodus, Matthew, and Acts.
According to the DOJ, Lefemine now faces a maximum penalty of six months in federal prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Abortion wars: It was man’s versus God’s law in SC on Monday, and man’s law carried the day.
Bible quotes didn’t help Columbia anti-abortion protester. Federal judge found him guiltyhttps://t.co/uwFJ5XPWYr pic.twitter.com/CB0Pakzscs
— John Monk (@jmonkatthestate) March 12, 2024
Per Yahoo News:
It was a rare court hearing in which man’s law and God’s law were debated. But in a Columbia federal courtroom on Monday, 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-citing anti-abortion activist guilty of obstructing the entrance to a Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic in November 2022. The clinic, located off Forest Drive, provides abortions and also numerous other aspects of reproductive and women’s health care.
It was the second case, but first conviction, in South Carolina under the federal Freedom of Access of Clinic Entrances Act, a measure passed by Congress in 1993 in response to waves of violence and mass protests against abortion clinics nationwide at that time, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbia said.
“The defendant is now adjudged guilty,” Anderson said after hearing evidence from three witnesses and Lefemine, who represented himself and took the stand and read off — as his own lawyer — some 30 questions to himself, which he then answered.
Steven Lefemine was found guilty by a federal judge yesterday of violating the Freedom of Access to a Clinic Entrances (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
— U.S. Attorney SC (@USAO_SC) March 12, 2024
This story originally appeared on TheGateWayPundit
