Thomas More Society Attorneys Drop Bombshell Evidence in Biden DOJ’s Persecution of Pro-Life Dad
Congress Intentionally Excluded Abortion Escorts from Federal Act: Revealed at Mark Houck Pretrial Hearing
Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312.422.1333, tc@tcpr.net
(January 17, 2023 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Lawyers for Mark Houck, a pro-life life father of seven being prosecuted by the Biden administration, dropped bombshell evidence in defense of the pro-life advocate at a January 17, 2023, pretrial hearing in Philadelphia. Thomas More Society attorneys produced new evidence – never before considered by a federal court – that when the United States Congress passed the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, it expressly intended to exclude so-called “escorts” operating outside of abortion facilities from being encompassed by the FACE Act.
The Thomas More Society filing on behalf of Houck in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, quotes Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), chief sponsor of the FACE Act. Kennedy clearly stated that clinic escorts are excluded, because they do not provide reproductive health services in a facility, as required under the FACE Act.
“The FACE Act was never intended to cover disputes between advocates on the public sidewalks outside of our nation’s abortion clinics,” declared Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation Peter Breen, who is representing Houck. “This new evidence shows clearly that Congress intended to limit the FACE Act to patients and staff working in the clinic, and not to take sides between pro-life and pro-choice counselors and escorts on the sidewalk. The Biden Department of Justice’s prosecution of Mark Houck is pure harassment, meant solely to intimidate our nation’s pro-life sidewalk counselors who provide vital resources to help pregnant women at risk for abortion.”
The Thomas More Society filing highlights a key exchange between Kennedy and Senator David Durenberger (R-MN), over a bipartisan amendment they negotiated to strip clinic escorts of the right to bring lawsuits under the FACE Act (139 Cong. Rec. S15682):
Mr. DURENBERGER. By defining “aggrieved person” in this way, was it your intention to exclude clinic escorts or so-called clinic defenders?
Mr. KENNEDY. That is correct. Demonstrators, clinic defenders, escorts, and other persons not involved in obtaining or providing services in the facility may not bring such a cause of action.
Durenberger then reiterated that escorts are not covered under the FACE Act (139 Cong. Rec. S15686):
The bill, as currently drafted before us, allows legal relief only to clinic patients and personnel. And this is the critical, if you will - not the only, but the critical - change that has been agreed to by the proponents of this legislation and by the Senator from Massachusetts. We have recognized that Federal law should be extended narrowly to protect only those who were actually attempting to obtain or provide medical or counseling services. It does not protect the escorts.
Thomas More Society attorneys filed the Objections to Government’s Jury Instructions in response to the Biden Department of Justice’s proposed jury instructions, which claim that, under the FACE Act, “A provider of reproductive health services includes any staff member or volunteer escort who is an integral part of a business where reproductive health services are provided.” The Biden Department of Justice claims that volunteer abortion escort Bruce Love is a “provider of reproductive health services” under the FACE Act.
Thomas More Society attorneys have provided alternate jury instructions, arguing that the clear language of the FACE Act requires that the reproductive health services must be provided “in a…facility,” which excludes escorts – a view reinforced by the clear statements supplied by the Congressional record.
United States of America v. Mark Houck is currently set for a jury trial, January 24 through 27, 2023, before United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Read the Objections to Government’s Jury Instructions, filed on January 17, 2023, by Thomas More Society attorneys on behalf of
Mark Houck, in United States of America v. Mark Houck, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,
here
[https://thomasmoresociety.
About the Thomas More Society
The Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, religious liberty, and election integrity. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, the Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, visit thomasmoresociety.org.
LifeNews.com Pro-Life News Report
Tuesday, January 17, 2023
| To read the news, visit LifeNews.com. |
Top Stories
•
Mark
Houck’s Trial Begins Next Week, Pro-Life Dad Faces 11 Years in Prison for
Protesting Abortion
• FBI Knew of Possible Pro-Abortion
Violence at Supreme Court Justices’ Homes, But Did Nothing
• Biden Tells Judge “Public Will be
Harmed” if We Can’t Kill Babies With Abortion Pills
• Catholic
Cardinal Urges Christians to Fight Abortion: Uphold the “Dignity of All
Persons”
More Pro-Life News
• Pro-Life Advocates Will Protest CVS For
Selling Abortion Pills That Kill Babies
• China Faces Population Decline, Worker
Shortages After Killing 400 Million Babies in Abortions
•
Women Regret Their Abortions. If You’re Like
Them, Here is Hope and Healing
• Mark Robinson: My Mom Could Have Had an
Abortion Because She Was Poor, Thank God She Didn’t
•
Scroll Down for Several More Pro-Life News Stories
Catholic Cardinal Urges Christians to Fight Abortion: Uphold the “Dignity of All Persons”
Pro-Life Advocates Will Protest CVS For Selling Abortion Pills That Kill Babies
China Faces Population Decline, Worker Shortages After Killing 400 Million Babies in Abortions
MORE PRO-LIFE NEWS FROM TODAY
Premature Baby Born at 23 Weeks Defies the Odds, Celebrates His First Birthday
Unborn Babies Should be Recognized as HOV Lane Passengers Because They’re People Too
France May Make Killing Babies in Abortions a Constitutional Right
Pro-Life Congressman Jim Banks Announces Indiana Senate Bid
