A jury has acquitted anti-abortion activist Mark Houck of ridiculous federal charges.
Houck had admitted to pushing a pro-abortion activist (and volunteer abortion clinic security personnel) who, charges Houck, had been verbally harassing his 12-year-old son. The incident occurred outside of a Philadelphia abortion clinic in October 2021.
Local police looked into the scuffle and decided that there was nothing there.
But in September 2022 — almost a year later — the Biden-Merrick Justice Department galumphingly arrested Mr. Houck for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances Act as if he’d been acting to stop someone from entering the clinic.
To arrest him, the agency sent a crew of J. Edgars to raid Houck’s home, gratuitously traumatizing his family, even though he had been ready to voluntarily surrender himself.
Peter Breen, head of litigation at the Catholic Thomas More Society, a public-interest law firm that represents Houck, said that the charges “allege that Mark Houck interfered with a so-called volunteer abortion patient escort when in reality, Houck had a one-off altercation with a man who harassed Houck’s minor son, approximately 100 feet from the abortion business and across the street.”
Breen believes that the case was brought “solely to intimidate people of faith and pro-life Americans. Why in the world would you send this phalanx of officers heavily armed to this family’s home, violate the sanctity of their home, frighten their children . . . other than just to send a message?”
Sadly, he’s exactly right.
At least it’s over.
For now.
At least for Mark Houck.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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3 replies on “Houck Off the Hook”
Clear-cut case of malicious prosecution and abuse of office.
Now place all those who participated in this debacle at risk of losing their posit and livelihoods just as they did to Mr Houck. That there is no consequence for such activities to the perpetrators only encourages more of the same. Bad actions must have consequences!
The whole regime is corrupt.