Two Mass. women among nine people charged in Washington, D.C., reproduction clinic blockade plot

Two Kingston, Mass., women in their 70s who were among nine people arrested for allegedly blocking access to a reproductive health center in Washington, D.C. in October 2020 played supporting roles in the plot, according to federal court papers filed in their cases.

Kingston residents Paula “Paulette” Harlow, 73, and Jean Marshall, 72, made initial appearances in federal court in Boston Wednesday on charges, issued out of Washington, of conspiracy against rights and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, according to legal filings.

Neither woman entered a plea to the charges, which will ultimately be heard in Washington, D.C. They were released without bail, with orders to stay away from the clinic they allegedly targeted with their co-assailants, attend their next hearing via Zoom on April 5, and have no contact with any witnesses or alleged victims in the case, records show.

Reached by phone Wednesday night, Harlow declined to comment on the charges. “I don’t really have anything to say,” she said.

A lawyer for Harlow declined to comment, and an attorney for Marshall didn’t immediately return an e-mail seeking comment.

The nine defendants are identified in legal filings as Lauren Handy, 28, and Jonathan Darnel, 40, of Virginia; Jay Smith, 32, and John Hinshaw, 67, and William Goodman, 52, of New York; Joan Bell, 73, of New Jersey; Harlow and Marshall; and Heather Idoni, 61, of Michigan.

Prosecutors allege the group “engaged in a conspiracy to create a blockade at the reproductive health care clinic.”

In court documents, prosecutors say Handy called the clinic pretending to be a prospective patient and scheduling an appointment. Once there, on Oct. 22, 2020, Darnel started a live feed on Facebook as the rest of the group lined up outside the clinic, the indictment says.

When a worker opened the door for patients, eight of the suspects pushed their way inside and began blocking the doors, and five of them chained themselves together on chairs to block the treatment area, according to court papers. Others blocked the employee entrance to stop other patients from coming inside, while another suspect blocked people from coming into the waiting room, the indictment states.

An affidavit filed in the case said Harlow and Marshall were among a group of assailants who “forcefully pushed through the Clinic door into the Clinic’s waiting room.” They were also among a group that allegedly set about “blockading two Clinic doors,” the filing said, and Harlow allegedly brought a duffel bag that contained a chain and rope.

Harlow, Marshall and three others allegedly “chained and roped themselves together” to block passage to a treatment area, the filing said. Marshall and others allegedly blocked one patient from entering the treatment area as well, according to the affidavit.

Correspondent Nick Stoico and material from the Associated Press was used in this report.