Washington D.C., Apr 11, 2005 / 22:00 pm
A pro-life leader was found not guilty in the District of Columbia of keeping a dead body for public display.
Jeff White, director of Survivors, a pro-life youth organization, and former director of Operation Rescue, was arrested for allegedly displaying the remains of a pre-born baby outside a Washington, DC, Planned Parenthood clinic during the pro-abortion March for Women's Lives in April 2004. The police confiscated the vial containing the baby's remains.
After a 10-day trial the judge found that the government had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt and noted several deficiencies in the government's prosecution of White.
While not directly on point, the government could not admit the humanity of the child in question.
During closing arguments, the judge asked the government whether or not the fetus at issue was a human. The government in response first said yes, and then said that the baby was part of a human body. The government position on this issue confused even the judge as it became apparent that the prosecutor was conflicted on the humanity of the fetus.
Brian Chavez-Ochoa, defense attorney with Life Legal Defense Foundation, said the judge's decision was well reasoned and well supported by the evidence.