{"id":2264558,"date":"2024-06-11T03:35:01","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T07:35:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/persecuted-pro-life-activist-files-4-3-million-lawsuit-against-doj\/"},"modified":"2024-06-11T03:39:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T07:39:35","slug":"persecuted-pro-life-activist-files-4-3-million-lawsuit-against-doj","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/persecuted-pro-life-activist-files-4-3-million-lawsuit-against-doj\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro-Life Activist Sues DOJ for $4.3 Million, Citing Persecution"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/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%2Fpersecuted-pro-life-activist-files-4-3-million-lawsuit-against-doj%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=2264558&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--><p>Last week, 22 senators led by\u200b Senator Rick Scott\u200d criticized the use of the legal system \u2063against pro-life\u200d Americans, highlighting the \u2064case of Mark Houck, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/legal-experts-say-georgia-charges-against-trump-violate-democratic-norms\/\" title=\"Legal experts argue that the charges brought against Trump in Georgia go against democratic norms.\">pro-life\u2064 activist<\/a>. Houck was arrested in\u200c September 2022 by heavily \u200carmed officers at his\u200d home, despite \u200cagreeing earlier \u2062to surrender peacefully. He was initially involved in \u2063an\u2062 incident \u200din October 2021 \u2062at\u2063 the Blackwell\u200c abortion \u2064facility in Philadelphia,\u200c where he pushed a Planned Parenthood escort who was verbally harassing his young son. Local authorities initially dismissed charges against Houck, \u2063but \u2064the \u200bDOJ later indicted him under the \u200dFreedom of Access to Clinic \u200cEntrances Act, \u200dfacing up to 11 years\u200b in prison. He was acquitted\u200d in January \u200d2023.<\/p>\n<p>Following his acquittal, \u200dHouck filed a $4.3 million lawsuit against the DOJ, citing various abuses including malicious\u200b prosecution and intentional infliction of emotional distress. This lawsuit, backed\u2063 by the pro-life organization\u2063 40 Days for Life and its legal team, highlights escalating tensions and legal\u200b battles following the\u200c overturning of Roe v. \u200bWade. \u2062The case\u2062 not only\u2063 raises issues about\u200d the protection of \u200cconstitutional rights for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/americans-remember-the-48th-annual-march-for-life\/\" title=\"Americans remember the 48th annual March for Life\">pro-life advocates<\/a> but also signifies a shift in legal\u200c strategies impacting activists and law enforcement relationships\u2063 post-Dobbs v. \u200cJackson \u2063ruling.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>Last week, 22 senators issued a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rickscott.senate.gov\/2024\/6\/sen-rick-scott-leads-colleagues-in-slamming-democrats-attacks-on-religious-freedoms-parental-rights-political-games-on-contraception\">statement<\/a> calling for an end to Democrats\u2019 weaponization of the legal system, calling out \u201cactivist attorneys\u201d and courts for targeting pro-life Americans. One particularly egregious case was that of Mark Houck, a Catholic pro-life activist arrested in 2022 and acquitted in 2023. Last month, he filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) for $4.3 million.<\/p>\n<p>Houck\u2019s arrest made national headlines when 20 heavily armed federal, state, and local law enforcement agents apprehended him on Sept. 23, 2022, at his home in Kintnersville, Pennsylvania, in front of his wife and seven children. Months earlier, he had agreed to turn himself in peacefully in response to federal charges.  <\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1893810688\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a71273f8f58e52d413eaecbfd619ceab fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-a71273f8f58e52d413eaecbfd619ceab\"><\/div>\n<p>Houck was outside the Blackwell abortion facility in Philadelphia on Oct. 13, 2021, when he shoved a Planned Parenthood escort away from his 12-year-old son after repeated attempts to deter the man\u2019s aggressive, verbal harassment. The incident, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=TyEaOihpLYc\">caught on camera<\/a>, portrays Planned Parenthood volunteer Bruce Love walking down the street away from the facility\u2019s entrance to intimidate and harass Houck and his son.<\/p>\n<p>The local police and district attorney <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com\/not-guilty-pro-life-hero-mark-houck-acquitted-in-doj-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rejected<\/a> Love\u2019s attempts to bring Houck to court, and a lawsuit filed against Houck was dismissed by a Philadelphia municipal court. But the Department of Justice picked it up, indicting Houck on charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, threatening a maximum sentence of 11 years in prison. In January 2023, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thomasmoresociety.org\/case\/united-states-of-america-v-mark-houck\">jury acquitted Houck in under an hour<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Houck is a regular participant in pro-life <a href=\"https:\/\/www.40daysforlife.com\/en\/about-overview.aspx\">40 Days for Life<\/a> campaigns and has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.40daysforlife.com\/en\/breaking-we-just-sued-the-doj\">partnered<\/a> with the organization\u2019s newly established in-house legal team, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.40daysforlife.com\/en\/institute-of-law-and-justice.aspx\">Institute of Law and Justice<\/a>, to file the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.40daysforlife.com\/en\/breaking-we-just-sued-the-doj\">40 Days for Life<\/a> organization had previously relied on outside counsel to defend participants\u2019 rights. But since the overturning of <em>Roe v. Wade<\/em>, it has been \u201coverwhelming\u201d law firms by seeking help as abortion proponents and law enforcement have attacked its supporters, according to Shawn Carney, 40 Days president and CEO.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-8cb43ebe2c70eb9b6e03c4575dac0a10 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-8cb43ebe2c70eb9b6e03c4575dac0a10\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Win for All Pro-life Americans<\/h2>\n<p>Houck initially filed a notice of claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act, naming six police officers who assisted in the home raid. The claim <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/document\/735825976\/2024-05-20-Complaint\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">accuses<\/a> the Biden DOJ of \u201cmalicious prosecution, retaliatory prosecution, abuse of process, false arrest, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress committed by federal employees and agents against Mr. Houck, Mrs. Houck, and their children.\u201d Filed November 2023, the claim has now passed the required six-month notice period and is an active lawsuit as of late last month.<\/p>\n<p>Houck\u2019s lawsuit has the potential to send a strong message to law enforcement across the country that pro-life advocates\u2019 constitutional rights must be protected and abuses of power will carry legal consequences.<\/p>\n<p>Matt Britton, 40 Days for Life general counsel, says most lower court cases do not get appealed due to lack of resources, so they are generally not reported. \u201cBased on those that are appealed, the reported cases indicate to me that trial courts are more willing than they have been in the past to side with ideology over law,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Because Houck\u2019s new case sidestepped the lower courts, moving directly to the federal level, it drew widespread national media coverage. Against the odds of the feds\u2019 95 percent conviction rate and a jury trial in Philadelphia, Houck and his legal team were confident in a win. Houck turned down a plea deal as he awaited trial, an agreement that would have nullified his ability to sue, and would have put \u201call pro-life Americans \u2026 at risk,\u201d Carney said. \u201cHe has a very strong [suit].\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-de1d79e34076f5844a5750c7b5c72f18 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-de1d79e34076f5844a5750c7b5c72f18\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Escalating Aggression<\/h2>\n<p>Escalating aggression toward peaceful protesters has marked a turning point in pro-life activists\u2019 relationship with federal law enforcement since the overturning of <em>Roe v. Wade<\/em>, Carney said. Prior to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.supremecourt.gov\/opinions\/21pdf\/19-1392_6j37.pdf\"><em>Dobbs v. Jackson<\/em><\/a>  ruling in 2022, a \u201cstrong working relationship with local and federal law enforcement\u201d combined with 40 Days\u2019 \u201cgreat reputation for being peaceful\u201d resulted in equitable and just protection for pro-lifers working with the organization.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the first actions our local leaders are trained to do when they decide to lead a campaign in their city is to meet with local police to inform them to keep our volunteers safe,\u201d Carney said. \u201cWe\u2019ve worked well with the great men and women of the DOJ going back to Bush, Obama, Trump, and even the first year of Biden. After the overturning of <em>Roe vs. Wade<\/em> we saw a new target on our back and an apparent bigotry toward pro-life Americans from the DOJ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Houck\u2019s arrest portrayed an unprecedented level of aggression against 40 Days participants, Carney said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI haven\u2019t found a current or former DOJ employee who has ever heard of someone\u2019s home being raided after they offered to turn themselves in,\u201d Carney said. \u201cIt\u2019s absurd and if it can happen to him it can happen to any American.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere seems to be a movement for lawyers and litigants to do and say almost anything to advance a case, cause or agenda,\u201d Britton added. \u201cIn my view, federal, state and local governments and courts have taken a decidedly pro-abortion approach in the cases that they bring and prosecute.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To date, the Institute of Law and Justice has won every case it has undertaken. It is currently managing about 35 active cases defending free speech and other legal rights of volunteers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMany who support abortion and disagree with us support our legal efforts to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/western-nations-scramble-to-protect-universities-from-american-leftism\/\" title=\"Western Nations Scramble To Protect Universities From American Leftism\">support free speech<\/a>,\u201d Carney said. \u201cIn the end, Americans don\u2019t want to see citizens arrested or raided because they share their opinion in the public square. We all believe that we have a right to be right and a right to be wrong on any given issue.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ddb1262741eb467b57c3ab3ba31881a1 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-ddb1262741eb467b57c3ab3ba31881a1\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last week, 22 senators condemned the alleged misuse of the legal system by Democrats, targeting pro-life individuals. They highlighted the case of Mark Houck, a Catholic pro-life activist arrested in 2022 and acquitted in 2023. Recently, Houck has filed a lawsuit in response to his legal ordeal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":638,"featured_media":2264559,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/hou-e1717900841278.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2264558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/hou-e1717900841278.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2264558","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\/638"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2264558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2264558\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2264559"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2264558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2264558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2264558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}