A Travesty of Justice: Guilty Verdict but No Real Consequences for the Brutal Assault of Two Elderly Pro-Life Advocates

If you saw the video, you also expected justice to be served in the case of Patrick Brice, a pro-abortion zealot who savagely beat two elderly pro-life advocates in Baltimore. Instead, as we stood beside our client in the courtroom last week, we witnessed a stunning example of how violent attacks on peaceful pro-life advocates are too often minimized or excused.

In May 2023, Brice viciously assaulted two elderly pro-life advocates, Richard “Dick” Schaefer (then 84) and Mark Crosby (then 73), outside a Planned Parenthood in Baltimore, Maryland. The attack, caught clearly on surveillance video, was shocking in its brutality. Despite a jury finding Brice guilty on four counts – two counts of second-degree assault and two counts of reckless endangerment – the sentence handed down by the judge was nothing short of a slap on the wrist.A reminder for us that we must continue the work of defending pro-life advocates.

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The events of May 26, 2023, remain deeply disturbing. Brice approached our client, Mr. Schaefer, as he stood peacefully on the sidewalk. After a brief conversation, and without provocation, Brice slammed Mr. Schaefer into a concrete planter, knocking him to the sidewalk unconscious. When Mr. Crosby rushed to help, Brice turned on him – punching him in the face, knocking him to the ground, and kicking him in the head.

Both men were gravely injured. Mr. Schaefer suffered cuts, bruises, and head trauma. Mr. Crosby sustained multiple facial fractures, broken fingers, head and neck injuries, and permanent vision loss in one eye. This was not a heated exchange gone too far – it was a calculated act of violence by a younger man against two elderly citizens exercising their constitutional rights.

The ACLJ played a pivotal role in ensuring Brice was found, arrested, and convicted – collaborating with local law enforcement, facilitating broad dissemination of Brice’s image and footage, and representing Mr. Schaefer. Ultimately, the case went to trial, and the jury saw the same thing the rest of us saw: an unprovoked, ideologically motivated attack on defenseless senior citizens. It convicted Brice on four counts.

The prosecutor, who has been committed to seeking justice in this case, sought a 10-year prison sentence – a modest request given the severity of the injuries and the vulnerability of the victims, but near the maximum time available under state sentencing guidelines. We represented Mr. Schaefer as he stood in court on Thursday and shared how he had been injured without provocation or reason. But Judge Yvette M. Bryant rejected that recommendation, instead sentencing Brice to one year of home detention, three years of probation, and mandatory anger management and therapy. No prison time. No real deterrent. Brice left the courthouse and went home the same day.

The leniency in Brice’s case is even more jarring when compared to how peaceful pro-life advocates have been treated under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Just months ago, 23 pro-life activists – many elderly, some grandparents – were serving lengthy federal prison sentences for non-violent demonstrations before being pardoned by President Trump. Their “crimes” consisted of peaceful protest and prayer in defense of unborn life. No violence, yet they were sentenced to hard jail time.

Yet here, a man brutally beat two elderly pro-lifers and will serve his “sentence” from the comfort of his own home. The double standard is unmistakable: Peaceful pro-life expression is met with the full weight of federal prosecution, while pro-abortion violence is downplayed and excused.

This is the abortion distortion in action – the bending of rules, the selective application of justice, and the diminished seriousness assigned to crimes committed against those who speak up for life. If the roles were reversed – if two elderly abortion supporters had been beaten unconscious outside a pro-life pregnancy center – would the outcome have been the same? Experience suggests otherwise.

At the ACLJ, we will not allow such injustice to pass without speaking out. Peaceful pro-life advocates must be able to stand, pray, and offer life-affirming alternatives without fear of being assaulted. When such violence occurs, the perpetrators must face real consequences – not token penalties that embolden others to do the same.

We are proud to have represented Mr. Schaefer, thankful that a conviction was reached in this case, and grateful for the prosecutor’s vigilant efforts. But this case underscores the urgent need for consistent, principled justice – justice that protects the vulnerable and punishes the guilty.

To our supporters: Do not grow weary. This case is a reminder of why we fight for life, for free speech, and for equal justice under the law. Continue to stand with us as we demand accountability for violence against pro-life advocates and work to dismantle the double standard that too often shields their attackers.

Justice without consequences is not justice at all.