Skip to main content

We are urgently seeking 500 new Life Defenders (monthly supporters) before the end of October to help save babies from abortion 365 days a year. Your first gift as a Life Defender today will be DOUBLED. Click here to make your monthly commitment.

Live Action LogoLive Action
Missouri abortion law, Iowa

Federal judge refuses to dismiss Planned Parenthood lawsuit against Center for Medical Progress

IssuesIssues·By Danny David

Federal judge refuses to dismiss Planned Parenthood lawsuit against Center for Medical Progress

Judge William H. Orrick (via cand.uscourts.gov)
Judge William H. Orrick (via cand.uscourts.gov)

On Friday, U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick refused to dismiss a lawsuit by Planned Parenthood related to undercover videos released by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP). CMP has claimed the videos show Planned Parenthood officials engaging in unethical and/or illegal behavior involving the sale of fetal body parts.

Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit alleges racketeering by CMP, along with other allegations. Orrick ruled on Friday that the lawsuit may proceed, but CMP attorney Katie Short argues that Orrick’s ruling actually exposes weaknesses in Planned Parenthood’s case. Short did not provide details on how the ruling damages Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit.

Judge Orrick is the same judge who, in February of this year, extended a gag order on the release of Center for Medical Progress videos involving the National Abortion Federation, claiming it was “in the public interest” to prevent their release, due to NAF’s (yet unverified) claims that they received threats. Orrick also stated that he believed the videos were “lacking in journalistic integrity” and “deceptively edited”– despite two independent forensic analyses finding the complete opposite.

Photo via Caroline Farrar Orrick's Facebook page
Photo via Caroline Farrar Orrick’s Facebook page

In previous Live Action News reports it was also noted that Orrick, an Obama appointee, donated tens of thousands of dollars to pro-Obama committees and raised more than $200,000 for Obama’s campaign. Orrick’s wife, Caroline Farrar Orrick (pictured left), is a staunch abortion advocate and is said to have “partner[ed] with him on political matters.”

As of Monday morning, CMP has not commented on the ruling. In July, criminal charges against CMP founder David Daleiden were dropped.

Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.

Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.

Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!

Read Next

Read NextWomen protests against Costa Rica's president, Carlos Alvarado, politics on abortion in San Jose, Costa Rica, on October 17, 2019. - Carlos Alvarado, President of Costa Rica, made a commitment to pass a regulation that will guarantee access to therapeutical abortion to those women whose health or life are at risk. A group of evangelical legislators and the Catholic Church of Costa Rica have been protesting against this decision and are pressing the president to not sign the regulation, as they consider it will open the door to abortion under any circumstance.
International

Costa Rica expands pro-life protections for preborn babies

Bridget Bosco

·

Spotlight Articles