Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Activists Behind Planned Parenthood Videos
Reuters: Charges Dropped Against Anti-Abortion Activists For Texas Video
Houston-area prosecutors dropped charges on Tuesday against two anti-abortion activists indicted for using illegal government identifications to secretly film a Texas Planned Parenthood facility, saying they could not adequately investigate the case. David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt were indicted by a grand jury in January and faced up to 20 years in prison after being charged with tampering with a governmental record. Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said in a statement her office was limited in what it can investigate under Texas law due to procedural matters with the grand jury process. (Herskovitz, 7/26)
The Washington Post: Last Charges Dropped In Case Over Planned Parenthood Videos
“The grand jury took the investigation where the facts led it, however Texas law limits what can be investigated after a grand jury extension order is issued,” District Attorney Devon Anderson said in a statement. “In light of this and after careful research and review, this office dismissed the indictments.” Anderson, a Republican who ran as a “proud, pro-life Texan mother of two” during the 2014 election, supported the charges when they were handed down in January, stressing at the time that at the outset of the investigation, she stated that “we must go where the evidence leads us.” That didn’t sit well with many members of her party. (Graczyk, 7/26)
The Wall Street Journal: Judge Drops Charge Against Antiabortion Activists In Planned Parenthood Case
David Daleiden, one of the activists, said just hours after the ruling that he plans to release “more shocking and damning” footage involving Planned Parenthood once a gag order is lifted in a civil case in California. Mr. Daleiden, 27 years old, and Sandra Merritt, 63, each faced a felony charge of tampering with government records for using fake California driver’s licenses to access a Planned Parenthood clinic. The charge carried a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison. (Hobbs, 7/26)
The Texas Tribune: Charges Dismissed Against Anti-Abortion Activists Who Made Video
Planned Parenthood had hailed the grand jury's actions as vindication of its vehement denials that its staff violated any laws. Tuesday’s dismissal of charges against the activists clears up a twist in Texas Republican’s ongoing fight against the women’s health organization, but Planned Parenthood officials said the charges were dismissed on a technicality and not because the activists are innocent. (Ura, 7/26)
