*** From Paul Vaughn ***

Friends, I want to thank you for your ongoing support and prayers. Next Tuesday, July 2nd, Federal Judge Aleta Trauger will decide my sentence regarding the Pro-life event from March of 2021 in Mt Juliet, TN. It took the DOJ 18 months to arrest me at gun point and another 21 months to get to a point where we will have some sort of understanding of what my future holds.

The wait has been long and difficult to manage for our family and especially for the 5 children who are still at home and have to live under such a heavy daily weight as a pending federal sentence for their father. Not that I suspect the wait has been any easier for my dear wife or even for my married children. This season has been taxing on all of us. But that wait and the unknown portion of this spiritual trial is set to come to an end. At least next Tuesday we will know the extent of the injustice that will be exacted upon me for loving my neighbors as myself.

People have asked me about the status of the case and if we have filed the appeal yet. Unfortunately, the way the court system works, the sentencing must take place before we can appeal the verdict. So you can bet regardless of the sentencing outcome the appeal will be filed as soon as we are able once the sentence is handed down next week.

Here is where we are today and what we are looking at on July 2nd. So far, I have been arrested at gunpoint, I logged one day in federal custody and almost 2 years (21 months) of parole (pretrial release). Parole consists of not being unable to travel outside of the middle district of Tennessee without permission. Permission involves an aggressive disclosure of who you are traveling with and who you are staying with. They want to know how much the trip will cost, and who is paying for it. In addition, it involves reporting every dime of income earned each month filed in a monthly report. That is the "punishment" I have already served. Tuesday we will see what sentence the court adds to this punishment.

The way federal sentencing works is a testimony to the state of insanity in which our nation exists. Instead of having a jury and a judge with competent character we have an entity called the United State Sentencing Commission. Instead of jurists who the people can trust to diligently administer justice for actual crimes committed by evil people, we have 608 pages of rules and justifications for departing from those rules to make sure sentencing is fair. Notice it is not about justice but fairness. I'm pretty sure when John Adams said "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People." He was foreshadowing this commission and a hundred other deep state additions meant to cover for our moral failures. But I digress.

The parole office produces a Presentencing Report (PSR) for the court based on the Sentencing Commission's guidelines (USSG). It uses these guidelines and a very invasive interview and investigation process to determine the minimum and maximum recommended sentences for the crimes charged. In our case we received a +12 upcharge for the conspiracy charge because there were 2 or more people (see USSG-§2H1.1 page 225 in the link above if you are interested in the details) and a +2 upcharge because the client was a vulnerable victim due to her pregnancy. (USSG-§ 3A1.1 page 345) The child the client had an appointment to terminate made her a vulnerable victim - let that sink in. We are all getting enhancements on our sentencing because there was a child in her womb we were trying to protect!

The guidelines for these charges and adjustments make my sentencing range according to the parole office from 15 to 21 months in federal prison. For my part, praying and talking with the police and media, the parole office is recommending the minimum of the range, which is 15 months in federal prison and 1 year of parole. The government's response to this report is telling, "The United States has reviewed the PSR and has no objections." They are happy to send me to prison away from my family for over a year.

In response to this, our attorney has filed a Sentencing Memorandum which among other things objects to the vulnerable victim claim and offers the true guideline range should be from 10 to 16 months. At the same time we are making the case for probation as an appropriate punishment based on the findings of the court and the law as it has been applied in other cases. Note, that we believe the entire case should be overturned and the verdict should be vacated and I should be fully exonerated as the appeal is heard in the 6th circuit. But we have to go through sentencing to get to the appeals process.

We are asking for a sentence that does not include incarceration, or as the parole office politely calls it, a custodial sentence. But if it does, the judge also has the power to determine if I remain free while we are on appeal. It is completely in her hands to make this determination. Given this information here are a few prayer request. Please join us in lifting this up to God in your daily prayers.

The court would actually desire justice and not the furtherance of a false narrative where we talk about the mom, but not about the babies who are at risk.
That we would have favor with the court and that no jail time will be required.
That, should the court give jail time, we would remain free during the appeals process.
That we would have a successful appeals process with ultimate victory and vindication.
Above all else, at every stage of this process, that I might represent Christ well. That I might know when to speak and when to remain silent. That I would speak His words and not mine. That I would not give credence to false narratives regardless of the personal cost, but would speak the truth in love at every turn.

My family greatly appreciates your prayers and the support you have shown us through this time. Thank You for your encouragement. This trial has been very revealing to us all and on one hand it is very disheartening to see the true state of our nation. But on the other hand to see the broad level of support and the way our story has impacted and encouraged others in their faith is encouraging to us. May God use these hard times to grow us all in Him.

I will follow up and let you know what the judge determines and provide and update as we move to the appeals process.

In the meantime we are continuing to pray and fast for our nation. May God have mercy in the midst of the judgement we deserve.

In Christ,

Paul

Daniel 9:3-5

I turned to the Lord God, to seek help in prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord, my God and confessed, "Ah, Lord, great and awesome God, you who keep your covenant and show mercy to those who love you and keep your commandments and your precepts! We have sinned, been wicked and done evil; we have rebelled and turned from your commandments and your laws.

9:17 Now, our God, hear the prayer and petition of your servant; and for your own sake, Lord, let your face shine upon your desolate sanctuary.

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