Pete Baklinski: Names of Aborted Baby Parts Traffickers to Remain Secret in David Daleiden Case: Judge

SAN FRANCISCO, California, February 11, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – A California judge decided today that the 14 “secret” pro-abortion “Does” named as accusers in 15 criminal charges brought against pro-life advocates David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt in 2017 will remain sealed during the case.

Judge Christopher C. Hite of the Superior Court heard arguments today regarding what kind of evidence will be allowed in an upcoming preliminary hearing for Daleiden and his co-defendant Sandra Merritt. Both Daleiden and Merritt attended the hearing today.

Daleiden, 30, is the undercover journalist and director of the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) who in 2015 released grisly videos (watch here) allegedly exposing Planned Parenthood’s illegal harvesting and sale for profit of body parts from aborted babies.

The groundbreaking undercover videos showed Planned Parenthood executives and workers haggling over the prices of baby body parts, picking through bloodied arms and legs of aborted babies in a pie tray, and discussing how to alter abortion methods to obtain better body parts for sale.

Public outrage over the videos prompted congressional hearings and calls for the federal defunding of Planned Parenthood. Because of the damning evidence found in those videos, the CMP director now finds himself under attack by the abortion industry. The abortion industry is seeking to permanently bury the videos and put Daleiden and Merritt behind bars on charges that they illegally recorded “confidential communications” under California’s anti-eavesdropping law.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced in March 2017 that Daleiden and Merritt were criminally charged with 14 felony counts of illegal recordings under Penal Code section 632, and a 15th count of conspiracy to violate section 632. They were charged despite evidence that the video recordings were made in public places, such as restaurants and conference halls, where it would be a stretch to expect “confidentiality.”

The 14 individuals Daleiden captured in the videos as giving damning evidence of the abortion industry’s involvement in the sale of aborted baby body parts were named in the felony charges against the whistleblower anonymously, being listed in People of the State of California vs. David Robert Daleiden, Sandra Merritt as “Does” 1 through 14.

At issue in today’s hearing was whether or not the 14 “Does” would be named. The first moments of court were tied up with the legal representative of the California Attorney General’s office complaining that the names of the 14 “victims” had been made public over the weekend by being published on LifeSiteNews.

While issuing no definite ruling, the judge indicated that the names of the 14 “Does” would remain sealed during Daleiden and Merritt’s prosecution.

LifeSiteNews published the names in a Feb. 9 report. While Daleiden and Merritt’s legal teams cannot use the names in court, and must refer to “Doe” 1 or “Doe” 14, etc., the names have been publicly available on the internet since 2017 and can be easily found through online searches. Many of these names have become infamous in pro-life communities across America.

They are:

• DOE 1 – Dr. Carrie Ann Terrell, medical director of “Whole Woman’s Health”

• DOE 2 – Dr. Stephen Hindes, owner of “Healthy Futures for Women” and former abortion provider for Planned Parenthood Rocky Mountains

• DOE 3 – Dr. Susan Robinson, third-trimester abortion doctor at Southwestern Women’s Options and abortion provider for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte

• DOE 4 – Ms. Amy Hagstrom Miller, CEO of “Whole Woman’s Health”

• DOE 5 – Dr. Lisa Harris, medical director of Planned Parenthood of Michigan

• DOE 6 – Dr. Mathew Reeves, medical director of the National Abortion Federation and abortion provider for Planned Parenthood Metropolitan Washington, D.C.

• DOE 7 – Ms. Debbie Bamberger, non-physician surgical abortion provider for Planned Parenthood Northern California

• DOE 8 – Dr. Norma Jo Waxman, abortion professor at taxpayer-funded UC San Francisco

• DOE 9 – Dr. Deborah Nucatola, senior director of medical services for Planned Parenthood Federation of America

• DOE 10 – Dr. Mary Gatter, medical directors’ council president for Planned Parenthood Federation of America

• DOE 11 – Ms. Laurel Felczer, senior director of medical services for Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley

• DOE 12 – Ms. Cate Dyer, CEO of StemExpress, LLC, longtime Planned Parenthood business partner in harvesting aborted fetal organs

• DOE 13 – Mr. Kevin Cooksey, former VP of corporate development at StemExpress

• DOE 14 – Ms. Megan Barr, procurement manager for StemExpress

LifeSite later learned that in an off the record huddle between the various councils and the judge, the “Does” legal team had attempted to persuade the judge to put this LifeSiteNews reporter on the stand to testify as to where the names came from. The judge allegedly did not accept the arguments and this LifeSiteNews reporter was not asked to testify.

Also at stake in the hearing was whether or not Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation can intervene in the case. The judge said it appears to be a “line crossed” to have the victims intervene to help prosecute the accused.

Also discussed in the hearing was whether or not the videos filmed by Daleiden could be used as evidence, and if so, to what extent.

Daleiden’s and Merritt’s teams want the videos shown and for the public to be able to see them so they can see first hand the importance and necessity of these conversations being recorded on account of them exposing alleged criminal activity by abortion advocates.

The judge is expected to issue a ruling regarding all these matters in the next couple of days. While the preliminary hearing was originally scheduled for Feb. 19, it is now moved to April 22-May 3 after the teams for the pro-life advocates asked for more time to prepare their case.

Pro-life advocate David Daleiden decried what he called “collusion” that he said he witnessed in court today happening between California’s attorney general prosecutor and abortion organizations.

“You can see the collusion in real time in the courtroom between Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation and the California Attorney General’s office weaponizing the law enforcement powers of the California Attorney General’s office to come after citizen journalism, attack the first amendment and try and cover up for their political buddies and their campaign donors of Planned Parenthood who are under current FBI and DOJ investigation right now for selling baby body parts against the law for profit,” he said in an exclusive interview with LifeSiteNews outside California’s Superior Court in San Francisco.

He said it indicates just how unfair the proceedings are.

“You can see in every break and sometimes not even during a break the attorney general is constantly going back to the lawyers for Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation, consulting with them, asking them how to proceed, plotting their next moves together,” he said.

“This isn’t a fair proceeding right now,” he said.

Daleiden’s lawyers told LifeSiteNews that the case is “just a mess.”

“It’s not a case, it’s a political vendetta,” said Brentford Ferriera, who represents Daleiden.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/judge-decides-david-daleidens-14-accusers-will-remain-secret-in-case