West Columbia Man Sentenced to Jail and Fined for Blocking Abortion Clinic Access

Medical ClinicPhoto byPhoto by Erik Mclean

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina announced Steven Lefemine, 68, of West Columbia, has been sentenced to 60 days in prison and fined $1,000 after being found guilty of a misdemeanor violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The sentencing took place following a trial where evidence demonstrated Lefemine's obstruction of the entrance to the Columbia Office of Planned Parenthood.

During the trial, the court heard testimony that Lefemine, a frequent protester of the clinic, physically blocked employees and patients from entering the facility. Video and audio recordings of Lefemine’s actions, which he had taken himself, were presented as evidence during the trial. The Columbia Police Department arrested Lefemine for trespassing and removed him from the site.

United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Anderson, who presided over the sentencing hearing, noted that Lefemine has a history of similar convictions, further influencing the severity of his sentence.

The FACE Act, enacted by President Bill Clinton in May 1994, was a legislative response to rising violence against abortion clinics in the early 1990s. The Act criminalizes violent actions or obstructive behavior directed at health care facilities or places of worship.

This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the City of Columbia Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson prosecuting the case.