Judge orders David Daleiden to pay $137,000 for releasing undercover video of abortion convention

A federal judge has ordered pro-life activist David Daleiden to pay a fine of $137,000 to the National Abortion Federation (NAF), after finding him in contempt for releasing an undercover video of the organization's annual conventions.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick held Daleiden in civil contempt for violating a court order that prohibited the release of videos that were recorded at the 2014 and 2015 NAF conventions.

The video, which featured footages of various Planned Parenthood officials and other abortion advocates making nonchalant statements about the abortion process, were reportedly posted on a private website in May.

Last week, Daleiden's attorneys, Steve Cooley and Brentford Ferreira, were also held in contempt for publishing the video.

"Criminal defense counsel ... do not get to decide whether they can violate the preliminary injunction," Orrick stated.

The lawyers argued that the footages are essential in providing Daleiden with a robust public defense after he and his colleague Sandra Merritt were charged with 15 felony counts of eavesdropping in California.

According to Life News, the first set of charges were dismissed by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Christopher Hite, but California Attorney General Xavier Beccera recently amended and refiled the charges.

Daleiden was ordered to turn over all recorded footage from the convention to his attorney's custody, solely for defense purposes.

Orrick's ruling also awards approximately $137,000 to the NAF for attorneys' fees and the staff time that was spent on scouring the internet for links to the undercover videos.

"Daleiden used his criminal attorneys to circumvent our court order," NAF President Vicki Saporta said in a statement.

"This egregious and disturbing violation of our preliminary injunction cannot stand, and we are pleased that Daleiden and his co-conspirators will be held accountable for their actions," she added.

The NAF sued Daleiden in July 2015 to stop the public release of the undercover videos, claiming it could jeopardize the safety of its members.

Last month, Daleiden's attorneys asked for Orrick to recuse himself from the case due to his alleged links to the abortion industry.

The lawyers claimed that the judge has had a long relationship with a group that partners with Planned Parenthood and that his wife had publicly supported abortion online.

Their request noted that Orrick served as a secretary of the board of the Good Samaritan Family Resource Center, which supposedly "embedded a Planned Parenthood clinic inside its premises, and lists among its 'key partnerships' ... Planned Parenthood Shasta Pacific."