This afternoon, a Houston grand jury has indicted the notorious anti-Planned Parenthood smear merchant David Daleiden and his henchwoman Sandra Merritt for tampering with a governmental record, while Daleiden was also charged with violating the prohibition of purchasing and selling of human organs. Of course, the anti-choice nutbars are livid at this news.
Brian Rodgers at Houston Chronicle:
A Harris County grand jury probe into Planned Parenthood of the Gulf Coast ended Monday with the indictments of two anti-abortion activists.
David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt were both indicted for tampering with a governmental record. An additional indictment for prohibition of the purchase and sale of human organs was issued for Daleiden, according to a release from the Harris County District Attorneys Office.
Karoli Kuns at Crooks and Liars:
David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt have both been indicted by the grand jury for Tampering with a Governmental Record, a 2nd degree felony. Daleiden was also indicted for Prohibition of the Purchase and Sale of Human Organs, a misdemeanor.
Nicolás Medina Mora at BuzzFeed News:
The grand jury, based in Houston, originally convened to investigate allegations of wrongdoing against the reproductive health clinic — but found no evidence that Planned Parenthood or its staff members had broken the law.
Instead, the jury decided to charge David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt — both affiliated with the anti-abortion Center for Medical Progress — with tampering with a government record. Daleiden has also been charged with purchase and sale of human organs.
[...]
Planned Parenthood immediately claimed the videos were misleading and eventually filed a lawsuit against the Center for Medical Progress. But the videos unleashed a wave of outrage. In November, there was a shooting at an abortion clinic in Colorado Springs.
If convicted of the top charge, Daleiden and Merritt could face up to 20 years behind bars. It was not immediately clear if either of them had retained an attorney.
Looks like Daleiden and Merritt could be facing some time in the pokey for their deviously criminal antics.