2 Abortion Bombers Get 10 Years : Judge Says He Agonized, Urges Parole as Soon as Possible

PENSACOLA, Fla. —  A judge who said he had agonized over the decision today sentenced two young men to 10 years in prison with parole “as soon as possible” and ordered each to pay $353,000 in restitution for the Christmas Day bombings of three Pensacola abortion clinics.

After being told by a lawyer for one of the defendants that “these boys would be eaten alive” in prison, U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson recommended that Matthew Goldsby and James Simmons, both 21, serve their sentences at Eglin Air Force Base, a minimum security prison for mostly white-collar criminals.

He also recommended the two be paroled as soon as possible.

65-Year Term Possible

The two men had faced a possible 65 years in prison and $70,000 in fines. They were convicted last month of conspiracy, making bombs and using them to damage the clinics.

Goldsby’s fiancee, Kaye Wiggins, 18, and Simmons’ wife, Kathy, 19, were given suspended sentences of five years on their conspiracy convictions and placed on probation for that period. They also were fined $2,000 each to be paid in $50 monthly installments beginning July 1.

The women had faced up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

Vinson said he was up until after midnight, still trying to decide on the sentences. “This is an unusual case. Probably thousands of people have developed a very personal interest,” he said.

Plea by Lawyers

Frank Booker and T. Patrick Monaghan, lawyers for Simmons and Goldsby, asked the judge to consider how harsh prison would be for the pair. Booker said, “These boys would be eaten alive.”

Vinson then recommended that the sentences be served at Eglin.

Religion and abortion played central roles in the trial.

Before the court imposed a gag order, three of the four defendants freely discussed the case. Wiggins called the pre-dawn mission “a gift to Jesus on his birthday.”

During the nine-day trial, jurors heard a Bible teacher read from the Scriptures and an anti-abortion letter written by President Reagan. They witnessed two abortions portrayed in a 45-minute film.

Insanity Tactic Dropped

Defense lawyers initially claimed the defendants were insane but abandoned that defense in closing arguments, calling the two couples all-American heroes trying to save unborn babies.

Prosecutors submitted pipe bomb fragments and statements by the defendants confessing the bombings. The defendants were called terrorists bent on forcing their views on others.

Goldsby and Simmons were freed without bond after the April 24 verdict. They had been jailed since their arrests days after the bombings. The women have been in the custody of their mothers since December.

Goldsby and Simmons were also indicted for another bombing last June, but prosecutors requested that counts pertaining to that bombing be dropped to simplify the trial.