In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court has chosen not to consider the appeal of pro-life activist Troy Newman, the President of Operation Rescue.
This leaves Newman with the obligation to pay Planned Parenthood a substantial sum of $18 million following his disclosure of the organization’s sale of aborted fetal tissues, according to a report from LifeNews.com.
Newman, a former board member of the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), played a pivotal role in unveiling a series of videos that alleged Planned Parenthood’s involvement in illicit and unethical activities, specifically related to aborted fetal tissue sales.
Following the release of these videos, Planned Parenthood initiated legal action against Newman and his associates.
The undercover investigation by CMP triggered extensive legal and congressional scrutiny, including multiple congressional investigations and referrals for criminal prosecutions.
The disclosure even paved the way for a successful prosecution pertaining to the illegal sale of aborted baby parts.
Spanning 2016 to 2019, the extensive legal battle unfolded in the federal trial court, featuring a six-week trial in San Francisco.
Evidence presented during the trial included admissions from an abortion doctor regarding the utilization of specialized techniques to preserve certain fetal organs during abortion procedures.
Another discussion involved a doctor expressing her desire for a Lamborghini while discussing the pricing for fetal organs.
However, throughout the trial, the jury was expressly instructed to disregard any evidence pointing to Planned Parenthood’s purported illicit and unethical activities, Life News notes.
The emphasis was solely on the investigative methodologies and techniques employed by the defendants.
The jury eventually ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood, assigning $18 million in damages to the defendants.
Additionally, the National Abortion Federation was awarded $8 million in damages.
Edward White, a lawyer from ACLJ representing Newman, previously expressed his condemnation of the ruling and stated that the jury’s verdict and several other rulings by the trial court are “contrary to the law and the evidence.”
White criticized the ruling that depicted the undercover investigators as participants in a racketeering enterprise under the RICO statute.
This statute was originally designed to aid the federal government in battling organized crime families.
Due to the incorrect application of the RICO finding, the damages awarded to Planned Parenthood were tripled.
White stated, “The Ninth Circuit’s RICO decision is in direct conflict with decisions of the Supreme Court.”
He highlighted that correct and consistent application of the Supreme Court’s RICO case law is crucial nationally as “RICO permits the trebling of damages in civil cases as well as other onerous criminal and civil penalties.”
However, with the Supreme Court’s decision to not review the case, hopes for rectifying what Newman’s supporters see as a judicial injustice are significantly diminished.
It was also reported that throughout the trial, leaders of Planned Parenthood admitted under oath to the sale of aborted baby parts.
