Planned Parenthood activists don't like the world to know about their baby-killing, baby-parts-selling operations. It is to be known as "women's health" - or something like that.
Posted on 07/19/2017 8:10:20 PM PDT by Morgana
Yesterday Judge William Orrick held David Daleiden, the Center for Medical Progress, and two of David’s criminal defense attorneys in civil contempt for violating a court order prohibiting the release of video footage related to NAF conferences and related meetings. The footage was posted to a private website in May.
Orrick said Daleiden’s lawyers published undercover video footage of a National Abortion Federation meeting in violation of a court order.
“Criminal defense counsel … do not get to decide whether they can violate the preliminary injunction,” Orrick said Tuesday in court.
Daleiden’s criminal defense attorneys argued that the videos are essential to providing David with a robust public defense after California Attorney General Xavier Beccera charged Daleiden and Sandra Merritt with 15 felony counts of eavesdropping. The first set of charges were dismissed by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Christopher Hite in the criminal case for lack of specificity. Beccera recently amended and refiled the charges, this time including the file names of certain videos. However, the charges still do not name the individuals involved in the conversations during which Planned Parenthood doctors and other abortionists discuss the sale of fetal body parts for profit.
Judge Orrick’s contempt order awards approximately $137,000 to the National Abortion Federation for attorney fees and for alleged staff time to scour the internet looking for links to the Daleiden videos.
On a positive note, Judge Hite was receptive to arguments that the amended charges against Susan Merritt were not properly filed. An update will follow as soon as we know whether these charges will be dismissed.
“As always, the abortion cartel is furious that its trade in baby body parts and its willingness to violate laws that protect preborn babies from gruesome abortion procedures are being exposed,” said Life Legal Defense Foundation Executive Director Alexandra Snyder. “Since the first video release two years ago, they have been waging a vicious campaign to punish-and permanently silence-our client.”
SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must De-Fund Planned Parenthood Immediately
The video footage in question was released in May. It shows top Planned Parenthood staffers attending meetings of the National Abortion Federation in 2014 and 2015 and discussing gruesome details about aborted babies. In one clip, several attendees made jokes about eyeballs from aborted babies “rolling down into their laps.”
Orrick forced the videos to be taken down.
Daleiden refused to say whether he published the video Tuesday in court, according to the report. Orrick, who has ties to the abortion industry, said he will hold attorneys Steve Cooley and Brentford Ferreira in contempt.
The Center for Medical Progress, Daleiden’s group, said his attorneys are being persecuted “just for trying to use the same video evidence in his defense that the California AG is using in his prosecution.”
In a statement, Daleiden’s group continued: “The [California] State prosecution is such a bad case, Planned Parenthood and NAF want Judge Orrick to intervene in the middle of this separate (and bogus) state criminal prosecution to put his thumb on the scales and forbid David from getting a fair trial.
In June, Daleiden’s lawyers asked that Orrick recuse himself from the case, arguing that he has links to the abortion industry. They said Orrick has had a long relationship with an group that partners with Planned Parenthood, and his wife publicly supported abortion online.
While Orrick was secretary of the board of the Good Samaritan Family Resource Center, the organization “embedded a Planned Parenthood clinic inside its premises, and lists among its ‘key partnerships’ … Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific …” according to the request.
The Planned Parenthood affiliate also is a member of the National Abortion Federation, the plaintiff in the case, according to the court document.
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed charges against Daleiden and fellow investigator Sandra Merritt in March, alleging that they recorded private conversations without people’s consent in the state.
The Thomas More Society, which is representing Daleiden in the case, questioned who really is running the show:
“The pendency of simultaneous federal civil cases proceeding side-by-side with such a major state criminal prosecution of multiple felonies was bound to breed the most serious and grave complications, not to mention the miscarriage of justice. Must the pro-lifers’ criminal defense lawyers seek prior federal permission before summoning or cross-examining prosecution witnesses, or introducing videos or other documentary evidence into the trial record? Must the state court Judge, Hon. Christopher Hite, consult with the federal Judge, Hon. William Orrick, before ruling on objections to evidence?
“And who is actually directing the criminal case, Attorney General Becerra, or the federal civil plaintiffs, the National Abortion Federation and Planned Parenthood Federation of America, who lobbied him and his predecessor, then Attorney General Kamala Harris, to bring these excessive felony charges? We will carry on with efforts to see that justice is ultimately achieved in these troubling cases.”
They should file a complaint against the “judge” and the prosecutors for conspiracy to deny their constitutional rights.
Publish the names, phones and addresses just like the scummy libs like to do.
bkmrk
A kangaroo court asserting its misconduct is superior to that of the defendant.
It sounds like the little judgy wudgy is a big fan of the baby killers. His name is familiar. Wasn’t this ***hole involved in another controversial case for his liberal buddies?
Obama appointee. Jeff Flake helped get him nominated.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Orrick_III
Sounds like the judge is an accomplice to the crime of baby-parts selling.
Judge Orrick may, as a technical matter, be a fine jurist.
But isn't it reasonable to think this past connection to Planned Parenthood might have something to do with present authoritarian orders?
The general rule is that willful violation of a void but non- frivolous order will get you held in contempt. See the closely related Collateral Bar rule for criminal contempt.
Every lawyer should have learned that the first year of law school.
I'd quibble just a little and say that "willful violation of an erroneous but non-void order will get you held in contempt," but you're absolutely right that that is the rule which applies to this case. And I did learn that in the first year of law school.
Attorney Steve Cooley. Is that the former DA of Los Angeles?
Somehow, someway, we need to alter our system for picking and retaining judges. It’s way too political, and the justice system has ceased to be just. Judges are often arrogant and imperious, and relish their power and ability to throw their weight around. I have very little confidence in our legal system. It has become the weakest link in our republic.
Well there is a fine line to tread. Pro life shouldn’t be looking like clowns. Maybe a summary of the footage could have been posted along with a copy of the court order.
How about the start a Go Fund Me account and We the People pay their Charges.
I have been observing which of my sidewalk remarks to the Planned Parenthood people have the greatest effect. So far, “Take it somewhere else; we don’t kill babies here” seems to make them shrivel the most.
Wikipedia:
“... Orrick ... raised at least $200,000 for Barack Obama and donated $30,800 to committees supporting him.”
Pitchforks and torches, anyone?
Fined for revealing an actual felony crime.
Hey what happened to that sicko cop that shot that innocent woman the other day point blank? He still on paid leave?
Our “justice” system is broken and it’s become a for profit business. They are all in it together and will protect each other even when they murder. It’s becoming “legal mafia.”
Sickening.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.