Criminal case to proceed against Daleiden

The Supreme Court of California last week denied pro-life activist David Daleiden’s request to halt criminal proceedings against him. The rejection puts the case against Daleiden back on the court’s calendar, allowing California’s prosecution to move forward after months of delay. Daleiden, the founder of the pro-life Center for Medical Progress, faces 14 counts of nonconsensual eavesdropping and one count of conspiracy.

The Center for Medical Progress released undercover videos in 2015 that showed Planned Parenthood representatives discussing the sale of aborted babies’ body parts. Daleiden’s lawyers argue that California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, “compromised the integrity and impartiality” of his office by letting Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation make arguments in the case. “This decision … means that Xavier Becerra, as Planned Parenthood’s prosecutor-in-chief, will be able to continue his unconstitutional harassment of David,” said attorney Peter Breen of the pro-life Thomas More Society, which represents Daleiden.