US District Judge Cormac J. Carney sentenced Florida resident Xavier Batten to 42 months imprisonment for his role in a conspiracy to firebomb a Planned Parenthood clinic. This sentencing stemmed from events that occurred in early 2022. Batten, together with Californians Chance Brannon and Tibet Ergul, created an explosive device which was later detonated inside a Planned Parenthood facility in Costa Mesa, California.
The detonation necessitated the clinic’s temporary closure and the rescheduling of around 30 patient appointments. Notably, while Batten was not physically present during the device’s construction, he supplied instructions via phone, aware of his co-conspirators’ intention. In January 2024, he plead guilty to possessing an unregistered destructive device, as well as intentionally damaging a reproductive health services facility, contravening the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
Text conversations cited in a governmental sentencing memorandum revealed that Batten guided Brannon on aspects such as the quantity of styrofoam necessary for the device. Brannon informed Batten of the successful attack via text message, to which Batten responded with congratulations. According to the authorities, Batten’s remote involvement in the incident showed blatant disregard for potential harm his actions could cause.
The hearing saw Judge Carney labelling Batten’s crime as “cowardly” and demonstrating a lack of respect for women’s rights. Batten, in addition to serving his jail term, was ordered to pay $1,000 restitution and will be subject to a supervised release plan on his release.
Earlier in 2024, Ergul pleaded guilty to conspiring to firebomb the Planned Parenthood center, and Brannon received a nine-year sentence for the same crime. Both individuals also planned an attack on Dodger Stadium during an LGBTQ pride celebration. Brannon furthermore plotted racially motivated attacks on the Orange County power grid and invasions of Jewish homes in Los Angeles.
A report released by the National Abortion Federation shows a rise in violence against abortion providers in 2022, following the Supreme Court’s judgment in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization asserting that the constitution does not guarantee the right to abortion.