Three anti-abortion activists sentenced to probation in 2021 Tennessee clinic blockade

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Three anti-abortion activists were each sentenced to three years of probation in federal court on Tuesday for their 2021 blockade of a Tennessee clinic.

James Zastrow, Eva Zastrow and Paul Place were ordered to serve the first 90 days of their sentences on home detention. They were convicted in April of misdemeanor violations for blocking the main clinic door at the Carafem reproductive health clinic in Mount Juliet, Tennessee, a town 17 miles (27.36 kilometers) east of Nashville. Police asked them to leave or move multiple times, but they refused and were eventually arrested.

In all 11 people were convicted in the blockade including six who were found guilty of more serious felony conspiracy charges for their roles as organizers. Four of them were sentenced earlier this month to terms ranging from 6 months in prison to three years of supervised release. The sentences were below those asked by prosecutors, and U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger said she took into account the good works of the defendants in their communities.

The 2021 blockade came nearly a year before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The organizers used social media to promote and livestream actions they hoped would prevent the clinic from performing abortions, according to testimony. They also intended the video as a training tool for other activists, Trauger found.

Judges have agreed to postpone sentencing for three other activists. Eva Edl, Heather Idoni and Chester Gallagher are preparing for an August trial in Michigan on similar charges. One person, Caroline Davis, pleaded guilty in October to misdemeanor charges and cooperated with prosecutors. She was sentenced to three years of probation in April.