Republican Judge Dismisses Anti-Abortion Activist's Bible Defense

A Republican judge on Monday found an anti-abortion activist guilty of obstruction after he attempted to cite, among other things, passages from the Bible and his own "deeply held" beliefs.

The verdict came from Judge Joseph Anderson, a federal judge appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan, against 68-year-old activist Steven Lefemine in a Columbia, South Carolina, courthouse. Lefemine was convicted in a non-jury trial for violations of the 1993 federal Freedom of Access of Clinic Entrances Act after he blocked the entrance to a Planned Parenthood clinic on several occasions in 2022.

Lefemine was arrested on November 15, 2022, a day when he said he deliberately blocked the entrance to the clinic to try and prevent people from obtaining abortions. In one video, he told police that he would only stop what he was doing if "they agree not to kill babies today." He was arraigned in February 2023 and charged with physically obstructing and interfering with the people trying to access the clinic.

During the trial, in which he represented himself, Lefemine cited various texts, including, according to The State, "the Fifth and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and passages from Exodus, Psalms, and the books of Matthew and Acts." He also attempted to argue that he was not a threat on the day of his arrest, noting that he informed the Columbia police of his intentions and went peacefully when arrested.

Despite his arguments, other evidence was presented that showed him blocking the entrance in clear violation of the law. Lefemine was found guilty, with a sentencing hearing set to take place at an unspecified date within the next two months. He faces up to six months in jail.

"As Christians, we are not necessarily called to win all the time, we are called to be a witness," Lefemine told The State after the trial.

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina via email on Tuesday for comment.

Despite rendering the guilty verdict against Lefemine, Anderson said he respected the activist's "deeply held beliefs" and engagement in civil disobedience, which he characterized as "an age-old tradition in this country that sometimes has resulted in changes in the law."

This was the first conviction in the state under the Freedom of Access of Clinic Entrances Act. A case was previously tried under it but did not result in a guilty verdict.