Jury Deadlocked Over Pro-Life Activist Facing More Than a Decade in Prison For Allegedly Pushing Abortion Clinic Volunteer
The jury is deadlocked and set to reconvene Monday in the case of a pro-life activist facing 11 years in prison for allegedly pushing an abortion clinic volunteer.
Mark Houck, 48, was arrested by the FBI at his home in Pennsylvania last year.
The prosecution claims that Houck violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act during a scuffle with a pro-abortion activist and volunteer in October 2021.
The FACE Act prohibits “violent, threatening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with the right to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services.”
Houck is a Catholic and regularly prays outside of abortion clinics.
The prosecution claims that Houck shoved volunteer abortion escort, Bruce Love, 72, after he allegedly yelled at the pro-life activist’s 12-year-old son.
According to a report from Fox News, both Houck and his son testified during the trial last week.
“Shortly after Houck’s arrest last fall, his attorney Peter Breen told Fox News Digital that his client’s arrest was an ‘outrageous abuse of power’ from the Department of Justice that was intended to intimidate pro-life Americans,” the report continued.
Breen believes that the arrest was a move by Joe Biden’s Department of Justice to intimidate pro-life people and those of faith.
“The message from the Biden Department of Justice is pure intimidation against pro-life people and people of faith,” said Breen, senior counsel of the Thomas More Society. “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? Why would you do that, other than just to send a message?”
“We are up against the full might of the U.S. government and the highest levels of the DOJ,” the attorney added. “I don’t know if the attorney general personally authorized the raid, but his top lieutenants did if he didn’t do it himself.”
