Texas grand jury clears Planned Parenthood of Abortion misconduct, Indicts people who made Videos

[6souls]

And Texas Attorney General slams Planned Parenthood for "the horrific nature of abortion"

According to a statement from Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson, the 232nd Grand Jury extensively reviewed the joint investigation into allegations of misconduct by Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast for more than two months and cleared the organization of breaking the law. However, the grand jury did hand down indictments for two individuals who were involved in making the allegations against Planned Parenthood using covert recordings.

But instead of finding evidence of wrongdoing by the organization, the grand jury returned indictments against anti-abortion activists David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt. They were both indicted for tampering with a governmental record, which is a felony, and Daleiden was also indicted on a misdemeanor charge of illegally offering to purchase human organs in the video recording.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a brief statement following the indictments:

"The fact remains that the videos exposed the horrific nature of abortion and the shameful disregard for human life of the abortion industry. The state's investigation of Planned Parenthood is ongoing."

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-w...ercover-videos
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-w...ned-parenthood
http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/ar...hers-indicted/
https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov...d-investigatio

[Ksandra]

Good. What's sad is too many won't even care and will continue to believe they sell parts.

[6souls]

[tyven]

my 1 super nutjob is already posting articles about how the grand jury ignored the video evidence so they could indict the video makers. so funny. god i love the guy

[Ksandra]

Killed her chances. Love it.

[Kachiko]

Except the indictments are legal nonsense. In order to commit the crime of intending to buy organs (a crime of intent), you have to have two things:

1 - The actual intent to purchase the organs.
2 - A seller who would actually sell the body parts illegally.

The undercover investigative reporters are likely to have zero intent to actually purchase body parts illegally, as their goal is to test to see if Planned Parenthood would be willing to commit a crime. Also, the prosecutor declined to charge Planned Parenthood for the act of trying to illegally sell to said buyer. In short, it's the definition of a political hit job, designed purely to smear and tarnish reputations, and it's highly likely the case won't go anywhere past the ham sandwich indictment process. By them, the 'new's' will have been picked up, circulated, and done whatever damage was intended in the first place by leveling the charges, and little to no news circulated if/when they are likely to be exonerated.

[myreality]

So a remake of the vaccines causing autism thing? Wonderful.....can't wait to hear to hear the arguments that arise......

[Acevalefor]

Except the indictments are legal nonsense. In order to commit the crime of intending to buy organs (a crime of intent), you have to have two things:

1 - The actual intent to purchase the organs.
2 - A seller who would actually sell the body parts illegally.

The undercover investigative reporters are likely to have zero intent to actually purchase body parts illegally, as their goal is to test to see if Planned Parenthood would be willing to commit a crime. Also, the prosecutor declined to charge Planned Parenthood for the act of trying to illegally sell to said buyer. In short, it's the definition of a political hit job, designed purely to smear and tarnish reputations, and it's highly likely the case won't go anywhere past the ham sandwich indictment process. By them, the 'new's' will have been picked up, circulated, and done whatever damage was intended in the first place by leveling the charges, and little to no news circulated if/when they are likely to be exonerated.

So basically exactly what these two journalists have done/tried to do to Planned Parenthood. Turnabout, right?

[Kachiko]

So basically exactly what these two journalists have done/tried to do to Planned Parenthood. Turnabout, right?

If you mean to say that you have no problem with Planned Parenthood fighting back, then I've no qualm with the statement. If you're okay with so clearly a political usage of government time and resources, then yes, I've a problem with it, and so should anyone, no matter what side of the issue they happen to fall on. When the law is applied, unequally, and arguably unethically, in such important national debates, everyone suffers, but that's what an actual trial is for, and where most of this nonsense is properly sorted out. USA Grand Jury indictments really don't mean much, but most layman treat it as an actual conviction, which is the real problem here.

[Fiye]

Wait, wait what?

From what I'm getting a grand jury that debated what the fuck to charge people with came out with nothing against Planned Parenthood.

The videos show those two idiots trying to talk Planned Parenthood into selling fetal body parts. They then attempted to circumvent this by using their 5th amendment right and withhold the raw evidence.

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare...-over-evidence

These guys literally fucked themselves. These guys deserve every ounce of hurt that is coming towards them. If you want to blame someone for wasting the government's time blame these guys for fabricating those videos.

Planned Parenthood is only defending themselves from those who would use any excuse (Whether it be valid or not) to keep on providing basic fucking care for women who can not afford it.

[Kachiko]

Wait, wait what? From what I'm getting a grand jury that debated what the fuck to charge people with came out with nothing against Planned Parenthood.

Grand Juries doesn't acquit people of charges, nor do they clear them, like the topic says. Their sole job is to review the documents, given by the prosecution, and perform their own investigation to determine whether there's enough evidence to cross the extremely low bar to have charges brought. Everything they see is at the sole discretion of the prosecution and if it doesn't give them any documents, or direct them to investigate charges against certain parties, then they have nothing to go on. The prosecution also isn't required to give any evidence in support of the defense either, hence what an actual trial is for.

It's a system that, when properly used, can be a screen against unwarranted and unjust prosecutions, but it's also a system that, being naturally biased towards the prosecution, can be easily used as a political tool, especially on a population that takes little interest in the machinations of our legal system.

[Deejay]

I thought they were catching flack for attempting to use fake I.D.'s to try and buy the organs?

[Athas]

I thought they were catching flack for attempting to use fake I.D.'s to try and buy the organs?

Yes. Also for tampering with the video.

[6souls]

12 state investigations have yet to find any evidence that Planned Parenthood was selling or profiting off fetal tissue
http://www.npr.org/2016/01/28/464594...l-tissue-sales

[Waraji]

Gee, I wonder who's paying for all these investigations. :l

[myreality]

Ask a women to go home with you one night at the bar, she responds with no.....ask her again she say no, no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no........... lets ask her again.

[Melena]

Ask a women to go home with you one night at the bar, she responds with no.....ask her again she say no, no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no,no........... lets ask her again.

[myreality]

HA! Forgot about that.

[Kaslo]

Except the indictments are legal nonsense. In order to commit the crime of intending to buy organs (a crime of intent), you have to have two things:

1 - The actual intent to purchase the organs.
2 - A seller who would actually sell the body parts illegally.

The undercover investigative reporters are likely to have zero intent to actually purchase body parts illegally, as their goal is to test to see if Planned Parenthood would be willing to commit a crime. Also, the prosecutor declined to charge Planned Parenthood for the act of trying to illegally sell to said buyer. In short, it's the definition of a political hit job, designed purely to smear and tarnish reputations, and it's highly likely the case won't go anywhere past the ham sandwich indictment process. By them, the 'new's' will have been picked up, circulated, and done whatever damage was intended in the first place by leveling the charges, and little to no news circulated if/when they are likely to be exonerated.

um.... fuck it I don't feel like actually explaining.

[ringthree]

Except the indictments are legal nonsense. In order to commit the crime of intending to buy organs (a crime of intent), you have to have two things:

1 - The actual intent to purchase the organs.
2 - A seller who would actually sell the body parts illegally.

The undercover investigative reporters are likely to have zero intent to actually purchase body parts illegally, as their goal is to test to see if Planned Parenthood would be willing to commit a crime. Also, the prosecutor declined to charge Planned Parenthood for the act of trying to illegally sell to said buyer. In short, it's the definition of a political hit job, designed purely to smear and tarnish reputations, and it's highly likely the case won't go anywhere past the ham sandwich indictment process. By them, the 'new's' will have been picked up, circulated, and done whatever damage was intended in the first place by leveling the charges, and little to no news circulated if/when they are likely to be exonerated.

Umm, false?

The indictments were for two things. Use of false documents to defraud, and solicitation of the purchasing human organs.

So, the reasons you are just making this shit up.

1. They used fake California drivers licenses.

2. You are completely wrong about the intent. Intent is not the crime here. Simple solicitation of human organs is illegal.

So, I can only conclude that you know nothing of the situation, and read nothing about the actual indictments, because your comments miss the mark AND ignore half of the indictments.

Political hit job indeed. A political hit job against Republicans... in Texas.