The civil trial begins tomorrow in the San Francisco Federal Courthouse, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, as Liberty Counsel defends Sandra Merritt against Planned Parenthood’s multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit. This jury trial, with more than 60 witnesses, may last for eight weeks.
Planned Parenthood filed a retaliatory, 15-count civil suit against Merritt, seeking $16 million as punishment for her undercover investigation, which revealed and exposed the largest abortion mill’s unethical and potentially illegal profiting from human baby body parts. In this lawsuit, Planned Parenthood is using the “Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations” (RICO) law as a weapon to stop the undercover videos produced by the Center for Medical Progress that exposed Planned Parenthood’s gruesome trade in baby body parts. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled several years ago that RICO cannot be used against pro-life picketers to silence free speech. Yet, that is the motive of Planned Parenthood in this case.
Planned Parenthood has no evidence to support its retaliatory lawsuit. There are no damages and no legal basis for the suit, which is only designed to silence Merritt’s First Amendment rights.
Liberty Counsel’s Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “This trial will reveal the truth that Sandra Merritt did nothing wrong. In fact, the evidence will show that Planned Parenthood is abusing the law in a desperate attempt to hide its hideous business of selling baby body parts. The Supreme Court has ruled that RICO cannot be used to silence free speech and that is precisely what Planned Parenthood is seeking to accomplish,” said Staver.
The result of the recent three-week preliminary hearing in the criminal case is expected to be announced by Judge Christopher Hite in the San Francisco Superior Court on Oct. 22 at 2:30 p.m. PT.
