Posted on 07/29/2015 7:13:18 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The California Superior Court has issued a narrow temporary restraining order preventing the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), a pro-life group, from releasing further undercover video footage taken of three top-level staff of StemExpress.
CMP is the organization behind the series of three videos released over the past three weeks exposing the alleged harvesting and sale of body parts from aborted babies by Planned Parenthood – body parts that are then purchased by StemExpress.
CMP has alleged that the fees paid by StemExpress to Planned Parenthood violate federal law prohibiting the sale and trafficking of human tissue.
While Planned Parenthood has claimed that the fees paid to them by StemExpress merely cover their costs, and fall within the bounds of the law, the video footage released so far has appeared to show Planned Parenthood employees seeking profit as part of the transaction.
The Associated Press, which broke the news about the court order, reports that the undercover videos of the Stem Express staff were filmed at a restaurant in May.
It is unclear how just significant an impact the court order will have on the release of subsequent videos in the series. David Daleiden, the lead researcher with CMP, has said that at least nine more videos are slated for release.
The restraining order reportedly only pertains to the footage of the Stem Express employees, meaning that any other footage, including that featuring Planned Parenthood employees, can still be released as planned.
CMP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement released today, StemExpress stated that they sought the restraining order "on the grounds that CMP and Daleiden violated California’s anti-wiretapping law under Penal Code § 632 (Invasion of Privacy Act)."
"We will continue to pursue all available legal remedies against CMP and Daleiden," said the company.
In a statement responding to the court order, CMP accused Stem Express of using “meritless litigation” to "cover-up this illegal baby parts trade, suppress free speech, and silence the citizen press reporting on issues of burning concern to the American public.”
The pro-life group stated that an initial petition by Stem Express was rejected by the court, while their second petition, the one just granted, “was eviscerated to a narrow and contingent order about an alleged recording pending CMP’s opportunity to respond.”
CMP restated that the organization “follows all applicable laws in the course of our investigative journalism work and will contest all attempts from Planned Parenthood and their allies to silence our First Amendment rights and suppress investigative journalism.”
The AP reports that the restraining order will remain in place until a hearing on Aug. 19.
doesn’t cover other groups or individuals I bet.
We will not recover our Constitution until people start saying: “I don’t care what the courts say.”
What would the Alinsky Left do with video evidence - that did horrible damage to an important conservative organization - if some judge told them not to release it.
I wonder what the going price is for a Superior Court these days.
That decision cost PP a lot of money to get it go their way.
Just don’t release them in California.
Ever heard of prior restraint?
It is an unconstitutional order and can and will be ignored.
They could also simply release them from a server in Nevada or Clinton’s basement and not even violate an order with no teeth outside of California.
“Go f**k yourself, Your Honor”
Come on, SOMEONE has to have the cojones to say it! ;)
I thought I read about a TV station or news organization that already had ALL the videos.
Does this ruling then prevent any group that already received them from posting / showing / publishing them?
First amendment, like the US Constitution,
is TRUMPED by the whores in Black Robes.
California.
Arn’t hidden videos the staple of investigative exposés? Isn’t this the sort of thing used by “60 Minutes” and “To Catch a Predator”?
Anti-truth, anti-freedom, anti-individual, anti-life collectives and members of the legislative, executive and judicial have hijacked the republic.
ZERO representation ALERT!
screwum, release it anyway!
Somehow anonymous put them on internet.....
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