Tipsheet

Pro-Life Grandma Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison As Judge Appears to Mock Her Poor Health

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  June 03, 2024 5:30 PM

Former and potentially future President Donald Trump was found "guilty" last Thursday on 34 felony counts in a hush money "trial." It's not just Trump they're going after, though with a weaponized and politicized justice system. As we've been covering, President Joe Biden's Department of Justice (DOJ) has been quite eager to prosecute prayerful pro-life activists using the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, including an elderly grandfather. Since then, more grandparents have been sentenced, including grandmothers in poor health. 

Late last month, 59-year-old Heather Idoni was sentenced to 24 months in prison. She's already been incarcerated for nine months, which will count towards time served. It's been far from a pleasant experience for the grandmother, as Live Action News revealed:

Idoni was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for her part in the October 2020 activism – she has already been incarcerated for nine months, which will count toward her total sentence. The activists reportedly used chains, bike locks, furniture, and their bodies in an attempt to stop abortions from being committed and to prevent police officers from removing them from the facility. These are common activism tactics used today and in decades past to peacefully demonstrate.

Like most of her co-defendants who received sentencing last week, Idoni will also be on probation for three years following her release, during which time she will be prohibited from coming within 1000 feet of any abortion facility. Unlike her co-defendants, Idoni will also be required to submit to drug testing while on probation.

Idoni has reportedly suffered poor treatment and health problems during her incarceration, including an extended period in solitary confinement during which time the lights in her cell were kept on around the clock, a subsequent stroke, and the denial of necessary medicine by jail officials. She has also reportedly been moved nine times between seven different facilities since she was incarcerated last August. During a recent pre-trial hearing in another case, Idoni was kept in shackles – as if she were a violent offender.

And yet Idoni was still described to have "appeared to be in good spirits and doing well." She's also quoted as telling the court that "I realize my body will be taken and imprisoned, but my soul and my spirit belong to the Lord and cannot be imprisoned." Hopefully she'll be able to continue on in high spirits, as she'll also be tried in August for another incident. 

Paulette Harlow was the final defendant sentenced in this case. She was sentenced last Friday, also to 24 months. As Live Action News highlighted about this more unique defendant, the 75-year-old grandmother is in particularly poor health. This case has received particular attention, given Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly's callous attitude toward Harlow, and how her husband pled for mercy [Emphasis added]:

Defense attorney [Allen] Orenberg emphasized that Harlow’s health is rapidly declining, and that interrupting her current care by sending her to prison would be detrimental to her already-fragile condition. “She cannot continue to exist without support, especially that of her husband,” Orenberg stated. He also noted that Harlow is a mother of 6, including 4 adopted children, and a grandmother of 8, as well as a respected member of both her civic and church communities.

John Harlow spoke next, delivering a heartfelt emotional statement on his wife’s behalf. “I feel like Paulette is dying,” he said. “In my heart, I think she’s having a hard time staying alive.” He referred to himself as his wife’s “valet,” explaining that he provides all of her necessary care, and expressed that he would gladly take her place in prison, if he could. 

“We’ve tried to be good people,” he continued, adding, “I love my wife dearly. She’s made me go beyond what I’d otherwise have done” to help others. He concluded by saying, “We’re throwing ourselves on the mercy of the court.”

...

Judge Kollar-Kotelly echoed the accusations of the prosecution in her closing comments, claiming that Harlow violated abortion-seekers’ civil rights, describing the rescue action as “violent,” and characterizing Harlow as lacking in kindness and remorse. After pronouncing sentence, Kollar-Kotelly made a cryptic statement regarding her hope that Harlow would “make an effort to remain alive” because that is a “tenet of [Harlow’s] religion.”

Harlow is being permitted to remain on house arrest while determinations are being made regarding which federal facility is suitable to provide her necessary level of medical care. Like her co-defendants, she is being forbidden from coming within 1000 feet of any abortion facility during her period of supervised release.

Like the judge, prosecutor Rebecca Ross appeared dismissive about Harlow's health, even claiming the defendant used her poor health as an "excuse" to "escape the consequences" of her actions. She recommended a sentence of 33-41 months for Harlow.

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Judge Kollar-Kotelly's sentencing of Harlow has received considerable attention over social media since then. The Babylon Bee's Joel Berry posted a thread about the sentencing. Among those taking notice included Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who have introduced a bill to repeal the FACE Act.

Another article from Live Action News mentioned how among those sentenced to years in prison includes Jonathan Darnel, a 42-year-old Iraq War veteran who served two tours. He was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison, with time served putting him at 25 months. 

These cases involved pro-lifers blocking the entrance to Cesare Santangelo's abortion business in Washington, DC. We've covered Santangelo's disturbing practices before, which involve aborting babies later in pregnancy, far past viability. There's also concerns that he may have violated the Born Alive Infants Protection Act and Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Undercover investigations also found that Santangelo's office required women to be drugged with Xanax before speaking to the abortionist. 

Such treatment of the defendants is even more troubling, given the bias Mia highlighted at the time the co-defendants were found guilty.