Philadelphia Jury Acquits Pro-Life Activist Mark Houck of Assault after Altercation at a Planned Parenthood

by Ben Whedon

 

A Philadelphia jury on Monday found pro-life activist Mark Houck not guilty on both federal charges in relation to an Oct. 13, 2021, altercation with an abortion clinic volunteer.

The Department of Justice pursued charges against Houck, alleging that he “forcefully shoved” Bruce Love, a Planned Parenthood volunteer, in violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

Houck’s defense contended that Love had been “harassing” his son in the leadup to the altercation. The Thomas More Society, which represented Houck, celebrated the jury’s decision.

“Mark and his family are now free of the cloud that the Biden administration threw upon them,” Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation Peter Breen said after the verdict. “We took on Goliath — the full might of the United States government — and won. The jury saw through and rejected the prosecution’s discriminatory case, which was harassment from day one.”

“This is a win for Mark and the entire pro-life movement. The Biden Department of Justice’s intimidation against pro-life people and people of faith has been put in its place,” he continued.

Houck’s case attracted national attention for what his attorney described as an “obscene show of force” during his 2022 arrest, an incident that prompted accusations of political prosecution, especially given the DOJ’s decision to file charges nearly one year after the episode.

The verdict is a blow to the Department of Justice, which is already facing allegations of political weaponization and congressional inquiries into its handling of politically sensitive investigations.

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Ben Whedon is the night editor for the Just the News. He came to the company from Breitbart News and is a graduate of Washington and Lee University.
Image “Mark Houk and Wife” by Thomas More Society.

 

 


Reprinted with permission from Just the News.

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One Thought to “Philadelphia Jury Acquits Pro-Life Activist Mark Houck of Assault after Altercation at a Planned Parenthood”

  1. Deplorable Bay Stater

    Houck is fortunate that his case was in Philadelphia, where it is still possible — but by no means easy — for a pro-life defendant to get a fair trial (as opposed to the situation in D.C. and many other “blue” cities.

    And, while it’s great that he was acquitted, this didn’t cost the prosecutors anything other than some mild embarrassment. Without some kind of sanctions for this obvious abuse of process, they’ll just keep doing it over and over with new victim. In addition to sizeable monetary damages, anyone who was involved in the decision to pursue these charges should be disbarred, fined, and jailed!

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