Conservatives Praise ‘Not Guilty’ Verdict Against Pro-Life Father Mark Houck, Denounce 'Political' DOJ

(CNSNews.com) — Mark Houck, a pro-life father who was charged with violating federal law outside an abortion clinic by pushing a pro-abortion activist away from his young son, was found not guilty by a jury on Tuesday. In reaction, conservatives cheered the decision on social media and denounced the Biden Justice Department for targeting “pro-life activists.”

House Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) told Fox News and then subsequently through a tweet, “Justice has been served, but this brazen exercise in intimidation never should have happened. Mark Houck and his eight children never should have been forced to live through an FBI raid or see their father led away in handcuffs.”

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) tweeted, “Mark Houck never should have been prosecuted, let alone treated like a terrorist in an early-morning FBI raid with a SWAT team. Merrick Garland should be ashamed for using DOJ as a political weapon to target pro-life activists.”

Mark Houck was arrested in September 2022 in a dawn raid by the FBI for an incident that happened on Oct. 13, 2021. Houck and his 12-year-old son were protesting outside a Pennsylvania abortion clinic for pro-life rights when a clinic escort, Bruce Love, approached them from over 100 feet away.

Love began shouting vulgar obscenities at Houck’s son. Love reportedly said things such as, “your dad is a bad person,” and “your dad is hurting women.” As Love was yelling, he apparently entered the personal space of the 12-year-old boy, and that is when Houck decided to protect his child by shoving Love.

TRENDING:

After the incident, Houck’s home was raided by an FBI tactical team where he was arrested at gunpoint in front of his family. The DOJ charged Houck with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

The FACE Act states that it is prohibited to keep people from entering abortion clinics, “by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person because that person is or has been, or in order to intimidate such person or any other person or any class of persons from, obtaining or providing reproductive health services.”

Houck was facing up to 11 years in federal prison for shoving Love. The DOJ’s case has been highly scrutinized, with even U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert asking a federal prosecutor if it “seemed to be stretched a little thin” when making a case for Houck breaking the FACE Act.

Conservatives and pro-life activists have begun voicing their opinions on the verdict, and while praising the decision of the court, they have not let the DOJ’s actions slip under the radar.

From CNSNews - READ ORIGINAL

Some media, including videos, may only be available to view at the original.  

Similar Posts