{"id":1823603,"date":"2023-01-25T11:50:49","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T16:50:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1823603"},"modified":"2023-01-25T11:52:24","modified_gmt":"2023-01-25T16:52:24","slug":"pro-life-dad-targeted-and-raided-by-bidens-fbi-is-on-trial-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-life-dad-targeted-and-raided-by-bidens-fbi-is-on-trial-this-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro-Life Dad Targeted and Raided By Biden\u2019s FBI Is On Trial This Week"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpro-life-dad-targeted-and-raided-by-bidens-fbi-is-on-trial-this-week%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1823603&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47-->\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/4484226825_e81f9d4b33_k.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\"   style=\"display:none\"><\/div>\n<p>The Biden administration\u2019s targeting of pro-lifers will be on full display this week with the Department of Justice\u2019s prosecution of sidewalk counselor Mark Houck beginning on Tuesday.\u00a0 <\/p>\n<p>Houck\u2019s case first received national attention when upwards of 20 FBI agents swarmed his rural Pennsylvania home in September of 2022 to arrest him on charges that he had violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or \u201cFACE,\u201d Act. The FBI executed the unnecessary SWAT-like raid \u2014 reportedly complete with ballistic shields, a battering ram, and multiple agents aiming long guns at Houck \u2014 while his wife and seven children watched in horror. <\/p>\n<p>This was unnecessary as in these cases, prosecutors typically issue summonses to appear and not an arrest warrant. In fact, Houck\u2019s attorney informed the prosecutor that he would accept a summons on Houck\u2019s behalf.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what you need to know about the government\u2019s specious criminal case against Houck.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><strong>The Charges<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Federal <a href=\"https:\/\/thomasmoresociety.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Indictment-9-20-22.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">indictment<\/a> Houck was charged with two felonies under FACE. Houck was taken into FBI custody.\u00a0Anyone who:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>By force, threat, or physical obstruction, injures, intimidates, interferes with, or attempts to interfere with, any person because such person is or was, or to intimidate any other person or class of persons from, obtaining, or providing reproductive healthcare services.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In response to a 1993 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Congress passed the FACE Act. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oyez.org\/cases\/1991\/90-985\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruling<\/a> The court ruled that abortion facilities couldn&#8217;t sue prolife protesters who block access to abortion facilities.\u00a0The FACE Act was used against protesters and sidewalk counselors who were standing outside abortion facilities since its passage.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Clinton Department of Justice prosecuted approximately 10 people annually, while the Bush DOJ prosecuted two per year. This was despite the fact that it was passed in 1994.\u00a0As of May 20,22, there were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonville.com\/story\/news\/2022\/05\/09\/abortions-last-stand-post-roe-future-already-happening-florida\/9680312002\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">only 101 prosecutions<\/a> Under the FACE Act, some were arrested by the Biden administration <a href=\"https:\/\/thomasmoresociety.org\/pro-life-family-man-arrested-in-raid-by-armed-fbi-seeks-dismissal-of-federal-charges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">26 pro-lifers<\/a> for all alleged violations in 2022 of the FACE Act, including one case against Houck.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Biden administration\u2019s criminal case against Houck stems from a single incident on Oct. 13, 2021, when Houck was involved in a physical and verbal altercation with Bruce Love \u2014 a \u201cvolunteer patient escort\u201d B.L. was the only name used. throughout the indictment \u2014 outside the Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center in Philadelphia \u201cPPC.\u201d\u00a0Houck, according to the indictment was a \u201cprotestor\u201d Love was also familiar with Love outside of Planned Parenthood.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Houck is the first charge in the indictment. \u201cshoved B.L. to the ground as B.L. attempted to escort two PPC patients,\u201d Houck was in violation of FACE Act. Houck was charged with the second count. \u201cverbally confronted B.L. and forcefully shoved B.L. to the ground in front of the PPC, causing injuries to B.L. that required medical attention,\u201d Also in violation of FACE Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To convict Houck, the prosecution must prove Houck\u2019s altercation with Love was \u201cintentional,\u201d and that Houck acted because of Love\u2019s status as a provider of so-called \u201creproductive health services.\u201d The FACE Act also requires that a person who is \u201cinjured, intimidated, or interfere[ed] with\u201d To be \u201cobtaining or providing reproductive health services.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Also, the prosecution must prove that Love was helping with abortion services or that a victim was trying to obtain such services during the alleged assault.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>The Problem with the Government<\/h2>\n<p>If the facts of the encounter match Houck&#8217;s claims, the government will not be able to prove either case.\u00a0Houck says that his first encounter was with Love when Houck was talking to two women who had just left Planned Parenthood. Houck was taking these women to a crisis pregnancy centre across the street. If Houck\u2019s version of events is true, it would be Love who allegedly violated the FACE Act, not Houck, as the FACE Act also protects pro-life pregnancy centers.<\/p>\n<p>The second <a href=\"https:\/\/thomasmoresociety.org\/pro-life-family-man-arrested-in-raid-by-armed-fbi-seeks-dismissal-of-federal-charges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">encounter<\/a> between Love and Houck occurred, according to Houck, when Love approached him and his 12-year-old son and began to verbally harass Houck\u2019s son using vulgar language. The encounter between Love and Houck was not involving a patient seeking services from Planned Parenthood. To establish a violation under the FACE Act, the prosecution must prove that Love qualifies as a &#8220;patient seeking services&#8221; for the purpose of establishing Love&#8217;s guilt. \u201cprovider of reproductive health services.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The FACE Act defines \u201creproductive health services\u201d To include broadly \u201ccounseling or referral services related to the human reproductive system, including services relating to pregnancy or the termination of a pregnancy.\u201d\u00a0The first question is whether there are any \u201cvolunteer patient escort\u201d This definition includes qualifiers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even if Love is deemed to be a spouse, the court will still agree with this conclusion. \u201cvolunteer patient escort,\u201d however, that is still not enough to create criminal liability because the prosecution must still prove Love was doing so at the time of the encounter and that Houck\u2019s alleged altercation was motivated by Love\u2019s status, something the facts, as told by Houck, negate.<\/p>\n<p>The jury will have to decide what actually happened. But given that Love previously filed a criminal complaint with the local authorities \u2014 which state prosecutors dismissed \u2014 and that in that complaint, Love made no mention of his encounter with Houck and the two women walking to the crisis pregnancy center, Love\u2019s credibility will likely be lacking.<\/p>\n<p>Peter Breen, Houck&#8217;s lead attorney, said that a jury could start hearing testimony as soon as today afternoon. Breen said that the trial could end as soon as Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Houck could face up to a maximum of ten years in prison if he is convicted. \u201c11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and fines of up to $350,000,\u201d According to the DOJ <a href=\"https:\/\/www.justice.gov\/opa\/pr\/pennsylvania-man-indicted-assaulting-reproductive-health-care-provider\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press release<\/a>. Based on Houck\u2019s lack of any criminal history, however, the governing Federal Sentencing Guidelines would recommend a much lower range of six to 12 months.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>However, this assumes both a conviction and one which could withstand an appeal. This is unlikely given the facts presented to Houck and the absence of conflicting versions.\u00a0Even an acquittal of Houck, however, would still represent a victory for the Biden administration, which succeeded in chilling pro-lifer activities through the raid on Houck\u2019s home and his prosecution.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\" \/>\n<p>\n Anne Courchaine is an attorney. She was previously in private practice. Now she lives at home with her husband and their three children in Phoenix.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Biden administration\u2019s targeting of pro-lifers will be on full display this week with the Department of Justice\u2019s prosecution of sidewalk counselor Mark Houck beginning on Tuesday.\u00a0 Houck\u2019s case first received national attention when upwards of 20 FBI agents swarmed his rural Pennsylvania home in September of 2022 to arrest him on charges that he &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1821854,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[3706,13346,5591,8347,16237,7185,4853,3912],"class_list":["post-1823603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report","tag-bidens","tag-dad","tag-fbi","tag-pro-life","tag-raided","tag-targeted","tag-trial","tag-week"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1823603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1823603"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1823603\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1821854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1823603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1823603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1823603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}