Longtime anti-abortion activist sentenced to 60 days in jail for blocking clinic entrance
An aniti-abortion activist is headed to jail for blocking the entrance to an abortion clinic in 2022.
Steven Lefemine, 68, of West Columbia was sentenced to 60 days in jail and fined $1,000 by a federal judge after he was found guilty in March of violating the Freedom of Access to a Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act. It was the first FACE Act conviction in South Carolina.
Earlier this year, Lefemine, who has been widely known for years as a Bible-quoting, hymn-singing, Constitution-citing anti-abortion activist, was found guilty by U.S. District Court Judge Joe Anderson of obstructing the entrance to a Columbia Planned Parenthood clinic in November 2022. The clinic, located off Forest Drive, provides abortions, birth control services and numerous other aspects of reproductive and women’s health care.
It was the second case, but first conviction, in South Carolina under the federal FACE Act, a measure passed by Congress in 1994 in response to waves of violence and mass protests against abortion clinics nationwide, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbia said.
A former U.S. Military Academy graduate and industrial engineer, Lefemine represented himself during both his bench trial and sentencing hearing. Because the charge against Lefemine was a “petty,” or misdemenor, offense, he was not entitled to a jury trial, Anderson said.
Remaining unapologetic for his actions, Lefemine told Anderson Wednesday that God’s law trumps unjust human laws, such as the right for a woman to access reproductive health care.
“I believe children living in the wombs of their mothers are legal persons and have the right to life,” Lefemine said.
Still, Anderson gave Lefemine “credit” for holding to his sincere religious beliefs and remaining non-violent, pointing out that Lefemine notified Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook one day prior to him blocking the entrance at Planned Parenthood that he would do so.
Lefemine is no stranger to run-ins with law enforcement involving anti-abortion protests. His March conviction marks the ninth time he’s been found guilty for either trespassing or disorderly conduct related to anti-abortion protests. Up until now, he’s averted jail time.
Indeed, it was the number of repeated offenses that drove Anderson to levy jail time.
Assistant U.S. Attorney DeWayne Pearson prosecuted the case and maintained the prosecutors refrained from taking a position on whether abortion is right or wrong. He also said that the prosecution didn’t wish to infringe on Lefemine’s right to protest, but added that those protests must be lawful.
“No one seeks to bar (Lefemine’s) right to protest,” Pearson said. “However, he can’t block the door of a lawful facility where people are seeking reproductive health care, even if he disagrees with it.”
Pearson had originally asked Anderson to sentence Lefemine to 90 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. But in light of Lefemine’s non-violent approach in protesting, Anderson found the 60-day sentence and $1,000 fine more appropriate.
Upon his release, Lefemine won’t be subjected to probation, Anderson said.
This story was originally published July 31, 2024 at 5:36 PM.
