The Biden admin is neck-deep in legal battles. It might be Joe Biden’s undoing.
Because a court jury handed Joe Biden a ruling that made him sick to his stomach.
In relation to federal assault charges coming from a shoving altercation outside an abortion clinic in Philadelphia, pro-life activist Mark Houck was found not guilty on Monday.
Following the reading of the verdict in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, supporters of the Catholic father of seven wept and embraced one another.
Houck told reporters outside the courthouse that his acquittal was “a relief” and that he also felt “overjoyed” and “blessed.”
Without faith, he continued, “we wouldn’t have been able to do it.”
Mark Houck speaks to @cnalive about how faith got him and his family through such a difficult time: pic.twitter.com/oBgankg4Ih
— Joe Bukuras (@JoeBukuras) January 30, 2023
Peter Breen, executive vice president and director of litigation for the Thomas More Society, told reporters that the FBI raid on the Houck family home back in September was “absolutely outrageous” and that the Department of Justice’s prosecution of Houck was “abusive.”
Breen expressed his desire that the American Congress will call Houck and his family to the witness stand to describe the anguish they endured at the hands of the Justice Department.
Houck said, “We’ll be there.
In response to the verdict, the prosecutors chose not to comment.
Mark Houck’s first public statement after being acquitted in federal court of FACE Act charges: pic.twitter.com/Ds0F25h1BM
— Joe Bukuras (@JoeBukuras) January 30, 2023
The jury started deliberating the case on Friday, but they said they were at an impasse and would not reach a verdict that evening. When they started deliberating again on Monday at around 1:30 p.m., one of the original jurors was replaced by an alternate juror. The jury quickly reached a verdict of not guilty on both charges for Houck.
On the use of the alternate juror, McMonagle briefly spoke.
McMonagle said, “we were notified that there was an issue with the jury and one of the jurors had to be excused, who was quite frankly not participating in the deliberation process.”
“And we quickly worked to try and bring in an alternate juror. He came in and within an hour of him getting here, there was a unanimous not guilty verdict,” he added.
The first thing Mark Houck Sr. planned to do was take his family out for ice cream. Outside the courthouse, he was seen praying and giving thanks to God with his followers. He prayed for the abortion clinic escort Bruce Love, who had made the first accusations against Houck.
Mark Houck prays with his family and supporters after being acquitted of federal charges. pic.twitter.com/brV2TA0CAq
— Joe Bukuras (@JoeBukuras) January 30, 2023
On October 13, 2021, Houck, 48, of Kintnersville in rural Bucks County, Pennsylvania, admitted to pushing a volunteer escort twice, although he insisted he did so because the clinic volunteer was verbally assaulting Houck’s 12-year-old son.
The U.S. Department of Justice intervened after the local authorities decided not to file charges, sending a group of FBI operatives to kidnap Houck in front of his scared wife and kids while holding him at gunpoint.
On September 23, 2022, the family’s home was raided early in the morning. This prompted uproar in pro-life groups and prompt condemnation from several federal senators, who criticized the FBI’s overbearing methods and the Justice Department’s use of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
The FACE Act, a federal statute passed in 1993, was intended to prosecute crimes committed in pro-life hospitals and places of worship, but it has been applied almost exclusively to pro-life campaigners.
Stay tuned to DC Daily Journal.
