Should the judge who was affiliated with Planned Parenthood and later censored the undercover PP videos be removed from the case?

Tom Brejcha
Thomas More Society

Tuesday, Tom Brejcha, president and CEO of the Thomas More Society that is representing The Center for Medical Progress (CMP) and undercover journalist David Daleiden, will join Deacon Mike Manno and Pam Briddell to discuss their efforts to disqualify the judge who censored its undercover footage of an abortion conference because of his ties to a pro-Planned Parenthood organization that lets the abortion company run a clinic on its premises.  

When David Daleiden began releasing his now-famous expose on the abortion industry’s participation in the baby body parts trade, the National Abortion Federation (NAF) took him to court. Daleiden had undercover recordings of its abortion trade show. NAF succeeded in getting U.S. District Judge William Orrick to issue a gag order preventing the release of this footage. 

The organization is Good Samaritan Family Resource Center (GSFRC) in San Francisco. It describes its relationship with Planned Parenthood as a "key partnership." Orrick is a former GSFRC board member. He was GSRFC's secretary of the board in 2001 "when GSFRC entered 'key partnership' with PPSP [Planned Parenthood]," the motion states. 

"The video recordings that are the subject of this case include recordings of PPSP/PPNC

Judge William Orrick

staff members," it says. 

"At no time did Judge Orrick disclose to Defendants that he sat on the board of an organization that had as a 'key partner' an organization Defendants alleged, both in public statements and as part of their defense, was involved in violations of state and federal law," CMP's motion continues. "Judge Orrick did not disclose his close and long-standing relationship with an organization that houses a facility and hosts Planned Parenthood staff, whom NAF claims are in physical danger from 'anti-abortion extremists' incited by Defendants."

CMP is arguing that Orrick should be disqualified from the case because he served on the board of an organization that houses a Planned Parenthood clinic. CMP's motion to remove Orrick from the case says that Orrick's affiliation with this organization shows "bias in favor of the plaintiff and prejudice against the defendants." 

For the last 17 years Tom Brejcha has served as president and chief counsel of the Thomas More Society, defending the sanctity of life, religious liberty, and family values. Serving as an Army Captain in Vietnam during 1969-70, Tom was awarded a Bronze Star and an Army Commendation Medal. 

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