Last week, the Ninth Circuit Court refused to consider an appeal by David Daleiden, the citizen journalist who exposed alleged trafficking of baby body parts obtained in abortions. The appeal was of a $195,000 fine imposed by District Judge William Orrick for Daleiden’s allegedly violating a disputed gag order.
The Thomas More Society, which has been defended Daleiden for more than three years, released a statement about the developments. “First, Mr. Daleiden and his criminal defense counsel remain subject to an exorbitant penalty for doing nothing other than trying to defend him against baseless, politically motivated criminal charges,” said Sarah Pitlyk, special counsel for the society and a member of Daleiden’s defense team.
“Even worse than that,” she added, “the Ninth Circuit also essentially ratified the federal court’s improper interference in Mr. Daleiden’s state criminal case, tying the defense’s hands going forward.”
The gag order is particularly questionable given Judge Orrick’s relationship with the abortion industry. In a previous press release, Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel for the Thomas More Society said, “You’ll recall that Judge Orrick has close ties to Planned Parenthood, and his wife is an outspoken abortion activist. This is another frustrating setback for David — especially after … the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear our appeal of the ‘gag order’ injunction Judge Orrick hit David with at the request of the National Abortion Federation.”
Despite attempts by the Thomas More Society to have Daleiden’s cases moved to a judge without an apparent bias, the court has refused. Judge Orrick did not recuse himself, and now his overly zealous gag order and fine remain. Thomas More continues to further Daleiden’s defense.
As Live Action previously noted, California’s two-party consent recording law includes qualifications, and “there are exceptions to the recording law when crimes are suspected, as is the case with Planned Parenthood’s and NAF members’ activities — including the trafficking of human body parts, an accusation of killing a baby boy born after a failed abortion, and partial-birth abortions.”
To donate to help The Center for Medical Progress pay the $195,000 fine, visit David Daleiden’s GoFundMe page here.
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