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70 Dep't of Just. J. Fed. L. & Prac. 277 (2022)
FACE Off with Anti-Abortion Extremism - Criminal Enforcement of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 248 (FACE Act)

handle is hein.journals/usab70 and id is 576 raw text is: FACE Off with Anti-Abortion Extremism-Criminal Enforcement of 18 U.S.C. § 248 (FACE Act) Sanjay Patel Trial Attorney Civil Rights Division Criminal Section I. Introduction On October 23, 1998, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Dr. Barnett Slepian was killed as he stood with his family in the kitchen of his home. He was shot by a sniper who fired a single gunshot from a distant wooded area. The bullet entered the home through a rear window. Dr. Slepian died as his wife and children tried to stem the flow of blood until help arrived. Dr. Slepian was an obstetrician- gynecologist who provided reproductive healthcare services, including abortions, at a local clinic in Buffalo, New York.1 The sniper-James Kopp-had carefully prepared to commit this act of violence for over a year. Kopp was an anti-abortion extremist who spent substantial time choosing his victim, planning the attack, and orchestrating an exit strategy. Aided by two cohorts who shared his militant anti-abortion views, Kopp fled the country immediately after he murdered Dr. Slepian. A massive international manhunt ensued, and federal investigators were able to determine Kopp's whereabouts as they tracked his movements through Europe. Finally, on March 29, 2001, Kopp was arrested in France.2 Kopp was charged with a Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act offense for killing Dr. Slepian. Kopp had admitted shooting Dr. Slepian, and investigators uncovered evidence that proved the killing was motivated by Kopp's extreme anti-abortion views. Kopp stated that he did not regret shooting Dr. Slepian. 1 See Liam Stack, A Brief History of Deadly Attacks on Abortion Providers, N.Y. TIMES (Nov. 29, 2015), https://www.nytimes. com/interactive/2015/ 11/29/us/30abortion-clinic- violence.html 2 See Id. DOJ Journal of Federal Law and Practice March 2022 277

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