Wichita Abortion Protest Leaders Jailed

A federal judge sent three abortion protest leaders to jail indefinitely and levied escalating fines starting at $10,000 against each of them Wednesday as part of an effort to end Operation Rescue’s six-week-old demonstrations at Wichita abortion clinics.

U.S. District Judge Patrick F. Kelly ordered the Rev. Pat Mahoney, of Boca Raton, Fla., Keith Tucci of Charleston, S.C., and Joe Slovenec of Cleveland, to be held in the custody of U.S. marshals until they promise not to take part in the anti-abortion demonstrations.

Kelly fined the national Operation Rescue organization another $10,000. He also fined each of the three members and the organization an additional $500 a day for the next 10 days or until they agree, under oath, to obey the judge’s order against blocking access to two of the clinics.

All three had been before Kelly previously for contempt of court hearings and were released after promising to obey Kelly’s order.

“They have no respect for civil authority whether it is this court or the President of the United States,” Kelly said.

President Bush said last weekend that anti-abortion demonstrators should obey the law.

The three were arrested at Kelly’s direction after failing to post a $100,000 peace bond he required Aug. 6.

“This is outrageous. I’m being held as a political prisoner,” Mahoney said as marshals led him away.

Their lawyer, Thomas Monaghan, of New Hope, Ky., denied that they had violated the order, but described them as men of conscience, comparing their stand to the fight against slavery. But the judge stopped him.

“They are here to continue to violate the law. I don’t need a sermon,” Kelly said.

A peace bond makes a group or individuals financially liable for any damages that occur because of their activities. The bond order accompanied Kelly’s order barring protesters from blocking the clinics.

A fourth leader, Wendy Wright, of Binghamton, N.Y., originally was expected to face the judge along with the others. Her lawyer said that she was a group spokeswoman but that she planned to leave Wichita immediately.

Kelly said she was free to leave.

Authorities arrested 71 people Wednesday. More than 2,500 arrests have been made since Operation Rescue began blockading clinics July 15.

“These people will know they are not above the law,” Kelly said. “And no one is above the law.”

Operation Rescue leader Randall Terry and member Jim Evans were also ordered arrested on the peace bond issue. But both were at home in Binghamton, N.Y., and Kelly has said they would not be arrested unless they return to Wichita.