Mark Houck, Catholic Pro-Life Activist Facing 11 Years In Prison, Acquitted At Trial

After a lengthy trial that lasted a week, a Catholic prolife activist who was facing up to 11 years imprisonment for violating a federal statute prohibiting people from blocking others’ access to an abortion clinic was acquitted Monday.

Mark Houck is the leader of a non-profit group that counsels women in Philadelphia outside of abortion clinics. He was doing sidewalk counseling at the time. The Department of Justice has this to sayHe assaulted a two-time abortion escort “because he was a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort.”

“Assault is always a serious offense, and under the [Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances] FACE Act, if the victim is targeted because of their association with a reproductive healthcare clinic, it is a federal crime,” In a DOJ press release, Jacqueline Romero, U.S. Attorney, stated that. “Our Office and the Department of Justice are committed to prosecuting crimes which threaten the safety and rights of all individuals.”

FACE Act: Injuring, inciting, or interfering with any person due to their status of producer of reproductive health care is a federal offense.

Houck with his attorneys at Thomas More Society DiscussHowever, this “is a political prosecution” It is meant to “send a message” To pro-life Americans.

“And what’s clear from the Department of Justice at its highest levels, which is directing this case, [is] that they are trying to send a message to pro-life and people of faith: ‘Don’t mess with us,’” Peter Breen, vice-president of Thomas More Society Telled Fox News. “They want to intimidate — they want to cause good people like Mark to stop praying and counseling at the abortion clinics of our country. And that’s not going to happen.”

Breen stated to the outlet that while the case was dismissed by state court, it was revived almost a year later by the Biden administration. Further, Breen said, some 20 FBI agents raided Houck’s home when they arrested him, treating him “as if he was a drug lord or a mafia boss.”

“If he was truly a danger to the community, they wouldn’t have waited a year to prosecute,” Breen. “Serious questions need to be asked of the attorney general. What was he thinking? Why did they do this obscene show of force against a peaceful pillar of the community?”

Houck’s lawyers also argue that the DOJ’s claim that the FACE Act protects anyone associated with an abortion clinic is not accurate.

“The FACE Act was never intended to cover disputes between advocates on the public sidewalks outside of our nation’s abortion clinics,” Breen  In a statement released earlier this month. “This new evidence shows clearly that Congress intended to limit the FACE Act to patients and staff working in the clinic, and not to take sides between pro-life and pro-choice counselors and escorts on the sidewalk. The Biden Department of Justice’s prosecution of Mark Houck is pure harassment, meant solely to intimidate our nation’s pro-life sidewalk counselors who provide vital resources to help pregnant women at risk for abortion.”

Houck pleaded no guilty to the charges. He testified that he had two fights with Bruce Love, the clinic’s escort on the date in question. Houck was in the midst of counseling two women walking down the street who had left Planned Parenthood. reported. Life News reports that Houck was chased by Love about 100 feet to prevent him from counseling the women. reported. Houck claimed Love surprised him and made contact, prompting him to ask “What are you doing?” To move the escort out of his way, I reflexively elbowed him in the hip. Houck, a clinic escort, was alleged to have unprovokedly elbowed Love.

After this, Houck said Love left the clinic and stood near Houck’s 12-year-old son while taunting Houck Sr, saying, “You’re hurting women. You don’t care about women.”

Houck said Love also repeatedly disparaged him to his son, who testified on Friday that Love stood about an arm’s length away from him near the clinic.

“I moved away… because I was scared,” Houck was younger and added that Love told him “Your dad’s a bad person. Your dad’s harassing women.”

Houck had repeatedly told Love to stop harassing him son, and Houck claimed that he drove Love away.

The jury deadlocked on Friday after two-and-a-half hours of deliberation, telling U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert that they didn’t think they could come to a conclusion given more time. Pappert sent out the jury to go home, but told them to come back Monday morning so they could continue deliberations.

Houck was acquitted by the jury on Monday.

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