Thomas More Society Attorneys Defend Citizen Journalist Daleiden in Abusive Raid and Seizure

Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif., April 6, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- In the aftermath of a raid yesterday afternoon on the Orange County home of David Daleiden, Thomas More Society attorneys are defending the citizen journalist whose videos exposed Planned Parenthood's sale of baby parts. California Department of Justice Division of Law Enforcement agents entered the pro-life advocate's residence and seized Daleiden's computer, hard drives, cell phone and other personal property in what appears to be a political favor by California Attorney General Kamala Harris. The campaign page for Harris, who is running for the U.S. Senate, openly invites visitors to support Planned Parenthood, who is suing Daleiden:
www.kamalaharris.org/landing/engagement-160108-planned-parenthood

"Harris' campaign site makes it clear that the state's top law enforcer is a political ally of Planned Parenthood," explained Matt Heffron, an Omaha-based former federal prosecutor and Thomas More Society special counsel on Daleiden's defense team. "To storm into a private citizen's home with a search warrant is outrageously out of proportion for the type of crime alleged," said Heffron. "It's a discredit to law enforcement and an oppressive abuse of government power. Not only does the raid and seizure upon Daleiden appear to be politically motivated, it is apparently seeking grounds for bringing new California criminal charges," he added.

Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of Thomas More Society, said, "These latest draconian acts on the part of law enforcement are apparently directed by Harris who is running to replace abortion rights advocate Barbara Boxer in the U.S. Senate. They were likely provoked by a recent OpEd piece in the L.A. Times criticizing Harris for failing to keep pace with the Houston prosecutor who worked with Planned Parenthood's lawyer to get a grand jury to return criminal indictments against Daleiden and his colleague Sandra Merritt."

"After five months of silence from the California Attorney General's office, this search warrant makes a criminal investigation look like nothing more than an extravagantly political move," declared Heffron. "To initiate criminal proceedings in the midst of civil suits is an irregular use of taxpayer money."

Brejcha met with Daleiden Monday afternoon, on the eve of the raid, about earlier criminal charges brought against him and Merritt. He declared, "We continue to stand by these pro-life heroes who speak truth to power and whose investigatory efforts have uncovered dark, bloody truths about this grisly trade in human body parts that is not only lucrative and obscene but also blatantly illegal. The challenges and burdens of having to defend on so many fronts are great, but we will not rest until the truth prevails and these defendants are fully vindicated."

Thomas More Society attorneys Brejcha, Heffron and others with the national not-for-profit law firm based in Chicago, are aiding in Daleiden's defense against three pending civil lawsuits. These suits have been brought against the pro-life advocate by abortion providers, promoters and business partners, including Planned Parenthood Federation of America and their numerous local affiliates, National Abortion Federation and tissue procurement company Stem Express. Two San Francisco cases involve federal civil racketeering charges, referred to as RICO, that are intended to fight organized crime. This scenario closely echoes a three-decade court battle in which the pro-abortion National Organization for Women brought RICO charges against pro-life activists. Those charges were defeated twice in the U.S. Supreme Court by Thomas More Society attorneys. www.thomasmoresociety.org/about/scheidler.

Copies of the search warrant and other documents are available for examination upon request.

About the Thomas More Society
The Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. Headquartered in Chicago, the society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. Visit thomasmoresociety.org.