Mary Wagner had served more than four months prior to sentencing
The Catholic Register
TORONTO (CCN)
Despite receiving the maximum penalty at a sentencing hearing for her pro-life activism, Mary Wagner walked out of Toronto's Old City Hall a relatively free woman April 23.
"It is always good to be free," said Wagner, who was sentenced to six months in jail and three years probation conditional on her staying 100 metres away from any abortion clinic in Ontario.
She had served more than four months in jail prior to sentencing, and each pre-sentencing month is credited as a month and a half, so no additional time behind bars was required.
Wagner had opted to have no legal representation. The 42-year-old pro-lifer had spent much of her time before Justice Katrina Mulligan, who ordered Wagner to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, in silence.
"I explained this (decision) very clearly in the beginning of the trial," said Wagner. "The unborn children have no voice. I am standing in solidarity with them."
On Dec. 12, Wagner was arrested on two counts of breaching her probation from an earlier conviction and causing mischief by protesting at an abortion clinic in Toronto's west end. This breached the province's bubble-zone law.
The earlier conviction was also a result of Wagner's pro-life activism, which typically involved offering women at abortion clinics roses and words of encouragement to not abort their child so that someone could adopt her.
About 20 people from the pro-life movement appeared in the courtroom holding roses as a sign of support for Wagner.
Among Wagner's supporters was Linda Gibbons, who has spent many years behind bars for violating the bubble-zone law.
"In this case it is not just Mary Wagner on trial, but rather a system which denies equality for all humans by unjustly killing the unborn," she said.
Wagner said she needs to pray about her next step. "I'm going to go on a five-day retreat and pray about it and discern how best to respond."