Court upholds lawsuit against pro-lifer David Daleiden

A three-judge panel on the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld a Planned Parenthood lawsuit Monday against the Center for Medical Progress and several individuals including the center’s founder, David Daleiden. The lawsuit stems from a 2015 series of videos published by the group with undercover footage of conversations with Planned Parenthood employees. The appeals court wrote that the right to free speech didn’t protect all of the defendants’ actions. Planned Parenthood had sued Daleiden for contractual breaches related to violation of non-disclosure agreements, forging signatures and trespassing, among other things. After a 2019 jury trial, a judge had awarded Planned Parenthood a total of $2.4 million. The appeals court did rule in Daleiden’s favor on one minor issue, overturning the part of the jury’s verdict that found him and other defendants guilty of violating the Federal Wiretap Act. Daleiden plans to appeal the 9th Circuit Court’s ruling to a nine-judge panel, and to the Supreme Court if necessary. Another $13 million in fees awarded to Planned Parenthood is the subject of a separate appeal by Daleiden.

Why did Planned Parenthood sue Daleiden? In 2015, the Center for Medical Progress did an undercover investigation into whether Planned Parenthood was profiting off of the sale of aborted fetal organs and tissues, which is illegal. Investigators wore hidden cameras and recorded Planned Parenthood employees talking about the sale of aborted fetal parts. In 2019, a Texas Court ruled that the videos were enough evidence to stop funding Planned Parenthood centers. Planned Parenthood has denied any wrongdoing.

Dig deeper: Listen to my report in the DoubleTake podcast on what can happen to aborted babies.