Fighting the abortion holocaust is often discouraging work, and whatever moments of joy it brings are always tinged with the sad knowledge that, despite our best efforts, innocent children continue to be slaughtered every day.
But there are some moments that deserve to be celebrated and savored—because they rouse us from our lethargy, because they hearten us to continue the struggle, because they confirm the power of our protests, our letter-writing, our picketing, our marching, our counseling and lobbying and rescuing and most of all our prayers.
And one such moment is this: On October 18, after nearly three years in prison—during which she was subjected to the cruelest violations of her person and her civil rights—Joan Andrews walked out of a Pittsburgh jail, free to return to her life’s work of rescuing children.
A Surprise Reversal
Only days before, on October 14, Joan received word that Florida’s Governor Robert Martinez and the state’s executive clemency board, in a surprise reversal of an earlier decision, had voted to commute her scandalous five-year sentence. (Joan had been convicted by one Judge William Anderson of the supposed “crime” of entering a Pensacola abortion clinic on March 26, 1986, and attempting to unplug a suction machine. Her harsh sentence stemmed partly from her “unrepentant” refusal to acknowledge the legitimacy of the law she had allegedly broken, or to promise that she would not break it again. Her mistreatment—which included “cavity” strip searches, denial of some mail, and refusal of permission to attend Mass—was occasioned by her stance of passive “non-cooperation” in prison.)
Lest you think the good Governor and his aides simply had a change of heart (though we hope that’s the case), consider this: Mr. Martinez had been elected with pro-life votes, and was seriously embarrassed by the tremendous nationwide outrage provoked by Joan’s sentence and brutal mistreatment.
And there was also a catch. Upon her release, Joan would have to be extradited to Pittsburgh, to face sentencing on October 18 by Judge Raymond Novak for a felony trespass conviction stemming from a 1985 rescue operation (at which she locked herself in an abortuary’s operating room by blocking the door with a table). Judge Novak was known to be unsympathetic to pro-life rescuers, and had already sentenced Joe Wall, one of 14 others who had accompanied Joan on that Pittsburgh rescue, to 6–12 months. (After serving 85 days while awaiting that sentence, Joe is out on appeal.) One pro-life attorney estimated that Joan could conceivably have had to serve another 3 to 7 years for her Pittsburgh conviction.
But apparently the good Judge—and the Pittsburgh authorities, it is reasonable to presume—were in no mood for the migraine an imprisoned Joan had given the state of Florida. (In the few days between her extradition and sentencing, Judge Novak had already received nearly 10,000 letters on Joan’s behalf, generated largely by an emergency appeal by American Life League to its members.)
Yes, Judge Novak lectured Joan about “a woman’s right to privacy” and deplored her “tactics,” but in the end, and with an almost palpable air of resignation and defeat, he practically pleaded with her to accept the terms of her sentence: Time served (she had already served 64 days while awaiting sentencing three years ago, before being moved to Florida for her trial there) and three years probation—during which period she must not repeat her “crime” in Pennsylvania “or in any of our sister states.”
“I will not accept probation,” fired Joan.
“I’m not asking you to,” said the exasperated judge, “Do you understand the terms?”
“Yes.”
Actually, for her refusal to later sign forms promising, in effect, to obey her probation, Joan nearly didn’t make it out. But her shrewd (and eloquent) attorney, John Broderick, instantly appealed the conviction itself—and unless and until it is upheld, she is free to rescue children without fear of Judge Novak (as if she had any in the first place).
What Now?
Since her release, Joan has participated in the National Day of Rescue on October 29, has spoken in support of rescues at numerous pro-life gatherings, and has appeared on several television talk shows. She told us that she plans to continue participating in rescues until all pre-born babies are safe from the abortionists.
She also told us of her great gratitude for all the letters written to the authorities on her behalf, and for those many thousands written directly to her in prison. “There aren’t words to express my emotion,” she said, “I feel such overwhelming love and loyalty and closeness to all these people. I prayed every day, and I will continue to pray every day, for God’s blessings on them all.”
Most of all, she said, she is grateful for the prayers on her behalf while she was in prison: “We all know how the devil attacks us when we do pro-life work, and that is especially true in prison—there’s so much evil there. Many times I felt that I would fall, but the prayers of all these wonderful people sustained me; they saved my life and my soul. I will always be in their debt.”
And we, Joan, who derive such strength from your shining example, will always be in yours.
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