Obama-appointed Judge William Orrick barred pro-life activist and Center for Medical Progress Founder David Daleiden from releasing undercover videos of an abortion conference.
According to the Christian Post (CP), Orrick issued the ruling in favor of the National Abortion Federation who filed the case against Daleiden's organization. The judge gave permanent injunction against the release of the said videos that included footages of NAF's private meetings since it will constitute a "breach of contract." The videos in themselves, the judge said in the ruling, "disclosed no criminal activity."
"The scope of the requested permanent injunction is broader than the Preliminary Injunction," the judge explained in his ruling last Wednesday. It effects a permanent dispossession of the recordings and NAF Materials from defendants and adds a provision barring defendants and their agents from entering or attempting to enter NAF offices or events by misrepresenting their identity or with the intent to take video or audio recordings," Orrick said in the ruling.
"Simply put, while some part of the [Human Capital Project videos] resulted in government investigations, criminal prosecutions and regulatory activity, there is at most a weak connection between those activities and the specific NAF Materials covered by the Preliminary Injunction," he pointed out.
Daleiden and his organization previously released in 2015 undercover videos showing the illegal activities--selling of fetal parts and organs--of Planned Parenthood that led to years of investigation by the state and federal government, CP reported.
The investigation eventually ended up in 2019 where the jury handling the case in California ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood and imposed Daleiden and CMP to pay in punitive damages a total of $870,000. The Thomas More Society was serving as Daleiden's legal counsel at that time and vowed to appeal the decision of the jury.
In this Twitter account, Daleiden raised his disbelief at the decision favoring the abortion industry and purported a possible "cover up" among Planned Parenthood leaders.
"What's on the footage from abortion industry tradeshows that @PPFA leaders are so desperate to cover up? Maybe it has something to do with the baby parts companies sponsoring the tradeshow? Maybe with our expert who says the convos show infanticide? The truth must be revealed," he said last April 8.
Some netizens showed him support, telling him to "keep fighting the good fight!" and even asked the possibility of him releasing the transcript of the videos instead. While some cleverly suggested an "accidental leak" would be a possibility.
Daleiden's post retweeted the announcement of the National Abortion Federation on the court's decision. NAF said that it was a day of "victory" because Daleiden, CMP, and "their co-conspirators" were permanently barred from "releasing recordings and materials they illegally obtained at NAF's educational meetings."
The NAF tweet included a link to their website containing a press release dated April 7. In the press release, NAF said the "permanent injunction is incredibly important to the safety and security of" their members.
"Without a permanent injunction, there is no question that David Daleiden would continue releasing footage from our meetings, which would result in cycles of harassment and violence against NAF, our members, and other abortion providers as we have seen repeatedly and consistently happen with each video release since 2015," the press release said.
One of NAF's litigation counsel, Derek Foran of Morrison and Foerster, called Daleiden and CMP in the said press release as "anti-abortion extremists, who have placed abortion providers in personal jeopardy."
A lawyer representing Daleiden and his group, on the other hand, emphasized that the Obama-appointed judge's ruling attacks the defendant's First Amendment rights.
"The American people deserve to see and hear what the abortion providers of this country are willing to say and do to skirt and even violate the law," Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Vice President and Senior Counsel, said in a statement.
"We will appeal this decision, to vindicate David Daleiden's rights and the rights of every brave undercover journalist in this country and to hold bad actors like the National Abortion Federation to account," Breen added.
