Trial Update - Guilty on All Accounts
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you..... But REJOICE!
January of 2024 brought a blizzard of activity around here. Trial was supposed to start January 16, 2024 but the Nashville area was hit with a big for us snow storm and trial was postponed 3 times before starting a week late on January 22nd. Trial lasted 6 exhausting days.
Each day we heard consistent, strong defense from our courageous attorneys as prosecution bombarded with false accusations and contrived narratives. The skulduggery in courtroom was obvious to even my young children. My 10 year old leaned over to me during trial, “Mom, why do they hate daddy?” Another child, “Mommy, I want to go home.” Another, “The government obviously doesn’t like dad!” and “Mom, I can’t believe how crazy this is!”
The government’s star witness, Caroline Davis, a 25 year co-defendant turned government witness, testified for over 6 hours against all 6 defendants as if she were an expert…after having attended 3 prolife rescues. Her testimony was carefully engineered to craft a false-conspiracy story, complete with fabricated terms like “drivers”, “blowfishing”, and “horse shoe blockade”.
While Davis knew some defendants well, she testified that she did not know who Paul Vaughn was at first. The first time she saw him was the day of the prolife event in question. She testified that she first thought Paul was with the police or some kind of police chaplain. Part of her testimony was to pin Paul as a integral part of the so called conspiracy playing a role of a “police communicator” where he was supposedly pre-assigned to interfere, distract and delay the police. It’s always nice to sit federal court and learn how you are being framed by someone who doesn’t even know you. Interesting how someone who had never seen Paul before, did not know him and never spoke to him could testify in federal court about him in the way she did. She testified that in preparation for testifying she had spent hours watching the videos and talking to the FBI and the government. Davis quickly and robotically answered every question from the prosecution with rehearsed precision, yet on cross examination from the defense, she could not remember answers to questions regarding the week before the trial or last month and became obviously sassy and aggressive in her responses. Davis responded to defense attorney Jodie Bell with explosions like, “OH, MY GOD!” and “Well, if it makes you happy”.. or “if that’s a good enough answer for you”. At one point, Judge Trauger interjected to Davis, “Just answer the questions without commentary!”
Defense called an investigative crisis negotiator police officer, Mr. Watkins. Officer Watkins testified that Paul Vaughn was sincere, cooperative and helpful. Testimony showed that Paul complied with Officer Watkins requests and helped maintain peace. Officer Watkins testified that police had a Civil Disobedience Plan and explained that an event like that would take 2-3 hours to clear contrary to the prosecutions assertions that Paul Vaughn delayed the police. DOJ trial lawyer, Kyle Boynton, on cross examination, manipulated and contrived questions in such a way as to paint Paul out to be a deceiver who was “using the police” and had “deceptive” intentions. The way Mr. Boynton crafted his questions came across —you poor police crisis negotiator had the wool pulled over your eyes because Mr. Vaughn was so sly and deceptive and you didn’t even know it. The level of absurdity and dishonesty from the DOJ prosecution was truly disturbing. Deception, illusion, manipulation was the DOJ’s modus operandi.
Each evening after trial, our family met back at our Nashville home away from home and had dinner, fellowship, prayer and singing with our large extended family and some friends. We sang the Psalms like Psalm 2 - Why do Heathen Nations Rage, Psalm 119, Psalm 91 - and hymns like It is Well With My Soul, Great is Thy Faithfulness and King Alfred’s War Song. The Lord brought us peace in the midst of a raging storm.
Friday night, we walked out of the courtroom after a long day of hearing a government witness smirk and lie her way though her engineered testimony and other witnesses and prosecution manipulating the narrative to fit their agenda. We heard exhausting arguments over the definition of the word “intimidate”. We exited the doors of the courthouse and we were met with the raucous noise and debauchery of a drag queen show bus driving down the side street; a street named Church Street. Instantly, Paul and I knew this battle was not over and God had bigger plans for this case to reach beyond this court. This night God prepared us for what was going to happen in the following days.
On January 30, 2024, a Nashville jury, after about 3 hours of deliberation, found all 6 defendants guilty on all charges, (each defendant had 2 charges each: FACE Act Violation and Conspiracy). A sentencing date is set for July 2, 2024. An appeal will be forthcoming. We walked out of the courthouse after the verdict and gathered with a large group of family and friends and sang to the Lord.
While this is a heavy outcome for our family, it is still a glorious one that Christ has chosen for us to bear. Jesus is Lord and He rules and reigns from on high. He has a story He is telling and it’s a multi volume story with interesting characters, unexpected plot twists, conflicts and resolutions. His Story is the best story. If we believe Christ and we understand that we were born for such a time as this, we can rejoice wherever we find ourselves and trust that He who began a good work in us will be so faithful to complete that work He started! We can joyfully commit our souls to our faithful Creator and, though the storms rage all around us, be still and know that He is God!
Bethany Vaughn
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James 1:2-5 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
🙏 for all of you. Declaring no weapon formed against you will prosper. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Your courage and faith are an inspiration.
May God bless with His best! Thinking of your family and praying for peace and courage for your hearts. 🙏🏻🙂