Editorial note: Cal Zastrow is a Christian pro-life rescuer convicted for violations of the FACE Act.
(LifeSiteNews) — The federal government recommended that I be locked up for 27-33 months (pre-sentence report).
The prosecutors and judge labeled me as an “aggravator” who helped to lead the Rescue. They belittled me for having too much “religious vigor” and creating an opportunity for violence. Their disdain was clearly communicated.
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My attorney, Robert Parris, asked Judge Aleta Trauger to sentence me to five years of probation.
When it was my turn to give my statement, I walked to the podium and began by saying:
“Good afternoon, Judge Trauger. I agree with you on three important things, two that you said, and one that you wrote.”
She perked up, saying, “Oh?”
I resumed: “First of all, we must have the rule of law. Secondly, there is no Constitutional right to abortion. Thirdly, I, we are not the moral center of the universe.”
She piped in to object, “Huh? I don’t remember saying that last one.”
“You didn’t say it, Judge, you wrote it over a year ago in denying our motions for dismissal.”
She didn’t remember, so I continued. “Judge, I live my life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all life. He is the moral center of the universe! He defines what is right and wrong. He gets to define what is justice and injustice, law and lawlessness. We will be blessed as individuals and as a nation when we follow Him. We will be cursed and judged when we reject Him and His ways. He says that children are a blessing, that they are precious gifts from Him. … They are not to be abused, abandoned, or killed by abortion. They are fully human, fully alive, at conception. Their hearts start beating at 18 days. By 40 days they have fingers, toes, ears, eyes, and measurable brain waves.”
She loudly interrupted, scolding me: “I don’t need a sermon from you!”
I replied that I was going to conclude by reading four verses from the Holy Bible, with one sentence first. I told her that I was declaring Truth, not preaching at her.
Without waiting for her approval or disgusted refusal, I opened my Bible and said, “I now lift my voice with Jim Pouillon and the other Christian martyrs, the faithful saints who have died and gone before us.”
Lifting up my King James Bible, I began reading Revelation 5: 11-14: “And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was 10,000 times 10,000, and thousands of thousands; saying with a loud voice, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.’ And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, ‘Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.’ And the four beasts said, ‘Amen,’ and the four and 20 elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.”
I looked up, stated “Amen,” and was not asked any questions.
I was sentenced to six months in prison, reporting on October 1. After that, I am on supervised release for three years, with the first six months being under house arrest. An extra condition was added: that
I stay at least 100 feet away from the buildings and curtilage of all baby-murder mills, which the judge called “reproductive health centers.”
I have 14 days to file a notice of appeal, which I plan to do with extra “religious vigor!”
My objective in my statement was not to ask for leniency but to declare the glories of Jesus Christ and to speak up for the humanity, the preciousness, of children before they are born.