Anti-abortion activists who made illegal videos of PP charged w/ 15 felonies

[cinyc]

They violated the assumption of confidentiality between a counselor and a patient -- and thus medical ethics. Lock 'em up!

Patients can waive any client-patient confidentiality whenever they want and to whomever they want.  Otherwise, you couldn't tell your spouse or friend or parents or whomever about what the doctor told you.  That makes no sense.  So that can't be it.

The alleged "issue" is that they publicly taped the Planned Parenthood representatives talking about selling baby parts... in a public place, where there is no expectation of privacy, regardless of what any law says.  The activist California AG will lose this case, badly.  It is the very definition of a partisan witch hunt by a partisan hack.

[Antonio the Sixth]

We need to send Federal Troops into the rogue state of California pronto. These people are absolutely NUTS!

Or President Trump can grow a pair and pardon them.

"Breaking the law is OK if the people doing it share my political views."

[cinyc]

We need to send Federal Troops into the rogue state of California pronto. These people are absolutely NUTS!

Or President Trump can grow a pair and pardon them.

"Breaking the law is OK if the people doing it share my political views."

When was the last time 60 Minutes or the local news in California were prosecuted by the California AG for a hidden camera expose?  Or the animal rights activists who go on farms to tape what is going on there?  Answer - never.  So how can the citizen journalists who exposed Planned Parenthood's baby parts selling be prosecuted under that law?  They cannot.  Their actions are protected by the First Amendment.

And, as far as I know, Trump can't pardon anyone for state crime.

[ProgressiveCanadian]

I haven't been following this, but was Planned Parenthood not selling body parts? Because it'd be pretty wasteful and scandalous if they weren't.

They were selling body parts, it's on video.

I guess you can't believe everything you see on the Internet.

Especially when it comes from anti-abortion activists.

I trust them more than the people who have a financial interest in the abortion industry.

The videos were botched. Get that through your thick skull or just become another deplorable.

Just because you say the videos were botched doesn't mean I'll believe you.  The fact is that the AG is supported by Planned Parenthood and has a vested interest in that organization's well-being.

"Deplorable," you realize that I don't even support Trump?

You blindly get bamboozled by these morons who are now getting FELONY charges against them and you still don't believe facts? Yeah, i think imbecile fits you better.

[100% pro-life no matter what]

That's the reason why, even under Republican presidents, nothing changes.

The Bushes, Romney, Trump, etc. are all not pro-life, but if it hadn't been for pro-life voters, they'd all have been toast. The way Republicans are politicizing this issue and giving the pro-life movement hope every four years is pretty reprehensible IMO.

I am confident, at least, that George W. Bush is deeply pro-life, even if his dad isn't.

[Antonio the Sixth]

We need to send Federal Troops into the rogue state of California pronto. These people are absolutely NUTS!

Or President Trump can grow a pair and pardon them.

"Breaking the law is OK if the people doing it share my political views."

When was the last time 60 Minutes or the local news in California were prosecuted by the California AG for a hidden camera expose?  Or the animal rights activists who go on farms to tape what is going on there?  Answer - never.  So how can the citizen journalists who exposed Planned Parenthood's baby parts selling be prosecuted under that law?  They cannot.  Their actions are protected by the First Amendment.

That's up for a court of law to decide. I don't know the details of the case, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be prosecuted it what they did was constitutionally protected speech. Or do you want to scream political persecution as well?

[cinyc]

That's up for a court of law to decide. I don't know the details of the case, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be prosecuted it what they did was constitutionally protected speech. Or do you want to scream political persecution as well?

There is no question that this is a political witch hunt by an activist hack Attorney General against people who made his abortionist friends look bad.  He doesn't bring similar cases against 60 Minutes or local TV stations or even those animal rights activists who go to farms and slaughterhouses to tape what is going on there.  It is selective prosecution of certain members of the press for their political views.  And as I've explained before, you don't need to work for the mainstream media to be a protected member of the press under the First Amendment.

[Antonio the Sixth]

That's up for a court of law to decide. I don't know the details of the case, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be prosecuted it what they did was constitutionally protected speech. Or do you want to scream political persecution as well?

There is no question that this is a political witch hunt by an activist hack Attorney General against people who made his abortionist friends look bad.  He doesn't bring similar cases against 60 Minutes or local TV stations or even those animal rights activists who go to farms and slaughterhouses to tape what is going on there.  It is selective prosecution of certain members of the press for their political views.  And as I've explained before, you don't need to work for the mainstream media to be a protected member of the press under the First Amendment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbTcHpPDCu8

[7,052,770]

I haven't been following this, but was Planned Parenthood not selling body parts? Because it'd be pretty wasteful and scandalous if they weren't.

They were selling body parts, it's on video.

I guess you can't believe everything you see on the Internet.

Especially when it comes from anti-abortion activists.

I trust them more than the people who have a financial interest in the abortion industry.

Suit yourself, but don't be surprised when they continue to scam you in the future.

Remember, people who believe that abortion is the murder of a human being don't see anything wrong with a few white lies here and there if they believe they can lower the abortion rate. ExtremeRepublican himself has explicitly said that the "ends justify the means" on this issue. It shouldn't surprise anyone that these videos didn't show what they claimed to show.

[Bojack Horseman]

We need to send Federal Troops into the rogue state of California pronto. These people are absolutely NUTS!

Or President Trump can grow a pair and pardon them.

Nope. This is a state-level criminal case, not federal. The pardon would have to come from Jerry Brown, and that ain't happening.

[DC Al Fine]

We need to send Federal Troops into the rogue state of California pronto. These people are absolutely NUTS!

Or President Trump can grow a pair and pardon them.

"Breaking the law is OK if the people doing it share my political views."

Most people agree with this on some level.

The great majority of people are ok with the idea of hiding runaway slaves, distributing anti-Nazi/Communist leaflets etc, even if those activities were illegal in particular circumstances.

The question is ultimately, where does one draw the line.

[they don't love you like i love you]

We need to send Federal Troops into the rogue state of California pronto. These people are absolutely NUTS!

Or President Trump can grow a pair and pardon them.

No he can't. They're being charged under California state law. The President can only issue federal pardons. Only the Governor of California could pardon them.

[they don't love you like i love you]

That said as dishonest as what they did is this is a valid First Amendment issue and honestly selective enforcement. If I were on the jury I'd vote to acquit.

[Bismarck]

If they had made a misleading video that hurt some corporate boss or a farmer who operates a CAFO would they be going to jail? Perhaps I'm wrong but I'd doubt it.

[DC Al Fine]

That said as dishonest as what they did is this is a valid First Amendment issue and honestly selective enforcement. If I were on the jury I'd vote to acquit.

That's my reading of it. They're guilty, but the enforcement is the problem. It's like if anti-abortion activists were suddenly getting speeding tickets for doing 61 in a 60 zone.