Posted on 09/04/2019 1:03:42 PM PDT by Morgana
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) – A nurse practitioner formerly with Planned Parenthood testified in court Tuesday that she never expected to be covertly videotaped at the National Abortion Federation’s annual meeting.
“I believe it’s a protected place where we can speak freely about our work,” said the nurse, identified in court as Doe 7 – one of 14 people whose conversations anti-abortion activist David Daleiden furtively recorded discussing the procurement of fetal tissue.
Daleiden and co-defendant Sandra Merritt are each charged with 15 counts of felony invasion of privacy, accused of creating the fake company BioMax and posing as phony procurers of fetal tissue.
Using the pseudonyms Robert Sarkis and Susan Tennenbaum, they infiltrated and recorded abortion providers from Planned Parenthood at the National Abortion Federation’s annual meetings in 2014 and 2015 in San Francisco, Los Angeles and El Dorado, California.
Tuesday marks the first time any of Daleiden’s videos have been played in open court, kicking off a nine-day preliminary hearing in which the California Attorney General’s office will try to convince a state court judge to take their case against Daleiden and Merritt to trial.
“This preliminary stage is the put-up-or-shut-up stage,” said attorney Horatio Mihet, representing Merritt. “What today has revealed is the prosecution by the attorney general is political in nature and built on a house of cards.”
One video played Tuesday shows the ballroom at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, narrow, dimly lit and packed. A person wearing a hidden recording device approaches a woman in a black dress. “We’re from Biomax procurement services, we’re a tissue collection company,” says an unseen male voice.
The woman – Doe 7 – replies warmly and gives her name. The male voice asks about a contract with a company StemExpress. The woman says she cannot help him but gives the names of Planned Parenthood’s medical director and chief of staff. The conversation lasts only a few minutes.
“Did you know that video had been taken?” Deputy Attorney General Johnette Jauron asked Doe 7 on direct.
“Definitely not,” she answered, adding: “Everyone signs a confidentiality agreement and it’s assumed that it’s a safe space.”
Melissa Fowler, vice president of external relations for the National Abortion Federation testified the trade group goes to great lengths to protect attendees’ identities. They post security guards around the meeting rooms and exhibit hall. They ask attendees to always wear badges but never outside the confines of the conference space. They even ask attendees not to leave their badges or conference materials around their hotel rooms.
“It’s all to protect the safety and security of our meeting. We don’t want abortion opponents to target our members,” Fowler said, noting some had received death threats. “Some of our members are not even out to their families about their work.”
A retired abortion provider who also testified Tuesday said she felt like the meeting space was “the safest space you’re in all year.”
Doe 3, who received death threats when she performed abortions in Wichita, Kansas, and Albuquerque, said, “I remember walking into a NAF conference and thinking I don’t have to look behind me here.”
Attendees, speakers and exhibitors at the three-day conference in April 2014 had all signed confidentiality agreements prohibiting them from divulging details about the conference to anyone not in attendance.
Cross-examining Doe 7, Merritt’s attorney Horatio Mihet pointed out various people in the video passing well within earshot as she talked to Daleiden. He asked: “Did you lower your voice? Did you take any precautions to make sure these individuals didn’t hear you?”
Doe 7 replied that she had not, because the federation had taken the precautions with its confidentiality agreement. She also said the group had strictly prohibited recording of any kind.
Outside the courtroom, Daleiden’s attorney Peter Breen said California’s penal code, enacted under the California Invasion of Privacy Act, excludes any conversation that can be reasonably overheard or recorded.
“None of the content was confidential,” he said.
He added Daleiden – who founded the Center for Medical Progress – is an undercover journalist and should be protected by California’s shield laws.
On cross, Breen asked Doe 7 if she had ever committed any “violent acts.”
“I do not believe I have committed any violent acts,” she said, appearing confused by the question.
In an interview outside the courtroom, Breen elaborated this is another defense to taping under state law. He claimed selling fetal tissue from a patient who did not consent to such a sale is medical battery.
“If a person taping has a reasonable belief that they’re collecting evidence related to violent felonies, they’re OK,” he said, adding, “If you can get any counts thrown out, it’s a win.”
Testimony continues Wednesday, where the defense will cross-examine Doe 3 on procedures like dilation and extraction, which abortion foes call partial-birth abortion.
Imagine if a camera went undercover to a college and had students try to recognize Margaret Sanger quotes.
You can’t spy on baby killers but you can spy on our President.
Did the investigators sign the silly confidentiality statements?
Do the confidentiality statements stand in a criminal case with the state? Or merely in internal action with whatever group distributes them?
Also... what do the statements ACTUALLY say. I’ve seen these things, and the mere fact that it says “NON DISCLOSURE” in the title doesn’t imply that the internal language actually means anything or compels one to do anything.
Let the evidence be brought forward and widely disseminated. Outside of California and in.
One must protect the privacy of Mass Murdering baby cadaver sellers in their Felonious pursuits.
So charge them with 30 days community service suspended and hang the killers.
I wanted to record an official asking for a bribe. However, by state law it is a criminal offense to do so. So, it would have been my word against his. Instead, I went to his office and spoke with the manager. I never said “bribe” I simply stated what he had done and was doing. The manager sent me a different inspector. This guy signed off and ran for it.
The left tried to hide the Holocaust also. They succeeded for a few years. Abortion has been protected since it became “legal”. The Nazis would be so jealous.
The dinosaur news media used to regularly do undercover recordings and then gave each other awards for it.
“It’s all to protect the safety and security of our meeting. We don’t want abortion opponents to target our members,”
Safety and security of babies...oh wait.
Liar. You go to meetings for the explicit reason of conveying information to others. Were people supposed to forget what you said ? Were they not allowed to write Comey memos ?
OK who dropped the dime?
“Protected place”
These were just her personal memorabilia, that were hers to give to a law professor to release to the NY Times. So was that video of Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Michael Moore and Beto O’Rourke and Pete Buttigieg and his husband at that witches sabbath having a bacchanalian orgy.
Kamala Harris was California’s attorney general who prosecuted this case.
Bought and paid for by Planned Parenthood.
Do drug dealers get to have all their distributors sign confidentiality agreements? Do they they get to sue the police and the informant wearing a wire?
Kamala Harris was California’s attorney general who prosecuted this case.
.......... and not PP for selling baby parts
“one of 14 people whose conversations anti-abortion activist David Daleiden furtively recorded discussing the procurement of fetal tissue.”
Claim 1st amendment protection as a journalist.
But wait: they’ve already performed their Community Service.
Which is a contract. Contract enforcement is a civil issue, except that you cannot contract to do something illegal.
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