Pro-life advocate and father Paul Vaughn was formally sentenced to three years of supervised release—avoiding prison time for his peaceful witness in defense of life, despite zealous prosecution and conviction by the Biden Department of Justice. Thomas More Society attorneys are now preparing to proceed with an appeal on behalf of Vaughn, which will seek to overturn his conviction and challenge the constitutionality of the FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act.
Steve Crampton, Thomas More Society Senior Counsel and attorney for Paul Vaughn, reacted: “We are pleased the judge has shown leniency to Paul at today’s sentencing hearing, and I know Paul is incredibly thankful to be able to celebrate Independence Day with his family. But it remains the case that his conviction is a deep injustice. The Declaration of Independence, formally adopted on this day 248 years ago, famously states: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ On the anniversary of our nation’s charter declaring such rights ‘inalienable,’ Paul Vaughn and his co-defendants stand convicted of defending the inalienable right to life. The weaponized and evidence-free charges brought here by the Biden Department of Justice against peaceful pro-lifers should have never been filed. The event for which the Biden Department of Justice targeted Paul and his fellow pro-lifers was a peaceful demonstration by entirely peaceable citizens—filled with prayer, hymn-singing, and worship—and oriented toward persuading expecting mothers not to abort their babies. For his witness to life, the FBI raided Paul’s home at gunpoint in front of his wife and children, then brought down the full weight of United States government to prosecute Paul. We will continue to advocate tirelessly for pro-lifers like Paul, to make sure that the FACE Act is never again weaponized by the Department of Justice against its ideological opponents.”
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Paul Vaughn, Pro-life advocate and Thomas More Society client, said: “We rejoice in God’s plans. Because this is at the heart a spiritual battle, we are thankful to have a strong advocate in the Thomas More Society. Not only are they experts at law, but they deeply understand the spiritual battle raging across our land. We will appeal to have this unlawful use of the law overturned. We must stand and fight for what is right, we cannot bow down to the lie. Laws have to be grounded in truth, they have to align with the ultimate law giver, who is Christ our Lord. The false narratives plaguing our nation will fall when we stand up to them. That is what this case is about and I’m ever thankful to have a legal team who understands that truth and who is willing to fight for it all the way to the supreme court if necessary.”
On January 30, 2024, Vaughn—a devout Christian husband and father of 11 children—was convicted by a Nashville, Tennessee, federal jury on charges of violating the FACE Act and engaging in a “Conspiracy Against Rights.” These charges were brought by the Biden Department of Justice against Vaughn and carried a potential sentence of up to 11 years. Convicted along with Vaughn were five other defendants. Vaughn and five other pro-life advocates were prosecuted by the Biden Department of Justice for their participation in a peaceful life-affirming gathering at a Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, abortion business. Four additional defendants who took part in the peaceful pro-life demonstration were separately convicted of misdemeanor violations of the FACE Act.
At that pro-life prayer event, Vaughn peacefully prayed, sang hymns, worshipped, and communicated with law enforcement. For these actions, Vaughn was indicted by the government on October 3, 2022. Two days later, he was arrested at gunpoint in front of his wife and young children during an early morning FBI raid of his home. During trial, DOJ prosecutors attempted to paint Vaughn as willfully deceiving the police during the event, despite witness testimony from a police negotiator who testified that Paul had been both helpful, collaborative, and peaceful. DOJ prosecutors also alleged that Vaughn has blocked access to the abortion business, despite video evidence showing Vaughn had not blocked any entrance to the Mt. Juliet facility.
Vaughn’s case has drawn national attention in the wake of the Biden Department of Justice’s virulent prosecution of pro-life activists—which began in the months following the United States Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022. The FACE Act charges brought against Vaughn and other peaceful pro-life advocates over the past two years have sparked debate about the constitutionality of the FACE Act and its use by the Biden Department of Justice. The debate has reached members of both houses of the United States Congress, where legislation has been introduced to repeal the FACE Act.
Find additional information about Thomas More Society’s defense of Paul Vaughn following his arrest and prosecution by the Biden Department of Justice, in United States of America v. Gallagher, et al., here.
