Judge Orders Jury to Find Against David Daleiden in Planned Parenthood Exposee Case

Planned Parenthood could not sue for defamation, for the simple reason that what Dale Daleiden and the Center for Medical Progress was all true.

Instead, they sued on the theory that he had "trespassed" on their property -- he was permitted to be there, but the permission was granted to his undercover alias, and they're claiming that nullifies the permission -- in order to do "harm" to their reputation.

Obviously, if this ruling were to be taken as a real ruling, it would mean that undercover investigations are now illegal in the US.

But this judge does not mean the ruling to mean that. He means it to be a Conservatives-Only ruling. Liberal undercover journalists will of course continue to be immune (on First Amendment grounds) from lawsuit based on the theory that they were "trespassing" on property by securing permission to be there by using a false name and fictitious purpose for the visit.

And Jonah Goldberg will continue talking about Marvel Movies and the "alt-right" which dares to find fault with him.

In a statement released by the Center for Medical Progress, Daleiden said the decision is a threat to citizen journalism and First Amendment rights.

"While top Planned Parenthood witnesses spent six weeks testifying under oath that the undercover videos are true and Planned Parenthood sold fetal organs on a quid pro quo basis, a biased judge with close Planned Parenthood ties spent six weeks influencing the jury with pre-determined rulings and by suppressing video evidence, all in order to rubber-stamp Planned Parenthood’s lawsuit attack on the First Amendment," he said. "This is a dangerous precedent for citizen journalism and First Amendment civil rights across the country, sending a message that speaking truth and facts criticizing the powerful is no longer protected by our institutions."

Earlier in the week, Judge William Orrick ordered the jury to find Daleiden guilty of trespassing at Planned Parenthood conferences and clinics, where Daleiden and others from CMP met with Planned Parenthood executives and staff.

“I have already determined that these defendants trespassed at each of these locations,” the judge said, as he explained to the jury they must accept his rulings and only decide what damages Planned Parenthood should be awarded, if any.

Repulsive.

The media should, of course, be scandalized by this ruling, as it is a direct assault on the process of journalism.

But they are not journalists first; they are partisan liberals first. And they understand this is a Conservatives-Only ruling.

This nation will not continue to exist under two distinct sets of laws.

posted by Ace of Spades at 06:10 PM

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