This story was originally published by the WND News Center.

A 30-year-old pro-life activist who tried to rescue the unborn from America's massive abortion industry has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison for her work.

The sentence, 57 months in prison and three years of supervision, came after Joe Biden's Department of Justice insisted she committed a crime by blockading access to an abortion business.

Officials with the Thomas More Society immediately confirmed they are preparing to proceed with an appeal on behalf of Lauren Handy, a filing that will "seek to overturn her conviction and challenge the constitutionality of the FACE Act."

That stands for Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances and is used by Biden's DOJ almost exclusively against pro-lifers, even though the law is supposed to protect both pro-life protesters and those who are employed in the abortion industry.

The legal team's report said Handy was convicted Aug. 29, 2023, by a Washington, D.C., federal jury on charges of violating the FACE Act and "Conspiracy Against Rights." The charges were brought by the Biden Department of Justice against Handy and several other pro-life advocates and carried a potential sentence of up to 11 years.

Martin Cannon, Thomas More Society counsel, said, "There was only one thing around which Ms. Handy and her co-defendants were unified, and that was nonviolence. They conspired to be peaceful. Yet, today, the court granted the Biden Department of Justice its wish by sentencing Ms. Handy to 57 months—nearly 5 years in prison. For her efforts to peacefully protect the lives of innocent preborn human beings, Ms. Handy deserves thanks, not a gut-wrenching prison sentence."

Steve Crampton, also a lawyer for the society, added, "As I’ve gotten to know Ms. Handy, I’ve seen up close her unwavering passion for pro-life advocacy and resolute dedication to nonviolence. The caricature of Ms. Handy that the Biden Department of Justice fabricated flies in the face of reality. Ms. Handy should have been shown the same mercy that she has herself shown to countless many downtrodden throughout her young life."

The fight that has developed over Biden's near-exclusive use of the FACE Act against pro-lifers has, in fact, prompted discussion about its constitutionality.

"The debate has reached members of both houses of the United States Congress, where legislation has been introduced to repeal the FACE Act," the legal team explained.