CompassCare CEO Jim Harden explains why this is a win for the pro-life movement, but not the end of the battle.
The case of the United States of America v. Mark Houck came to a close today, with a hung jury finding him innocent of FACE Act violations. This comes after a strenuous fight in which the Department of Justice pursued Houck after a confrontation in October 2021, where he was attempting to defend his 12-year old son from a verbally abusive pro-abortion activist. Though initial allegations against Houck were thrown out in a PA court, the DOJ felt necessary to try and convict him – but to no avail.
Although this should be considered a win for the pro-life community, Rev. Jim Harden sees an ongoing struggle with the beliefs of both the DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, attempting to follow the requests of the Biden administration. “Both the SWAT raids of Houck and others by the FBI along with the phony FACE Act indictments by the DOJ make a mockery of the justice system. The jurors finding for innocence are heroes for the Houck family and justice for all,” Harden noted in a press statement.
He continued, “Pro-abortion politicians seem to be treating the justice system like a legal buffet, picking and choosing when and how to apply laws for their own political gain. Why is the DOJ taking resources that could otherwise be used to expose, apprehend, and indict those engaging in and covering up serial sex crimes to prosecute innocent people who are attempting to protect women from organizations that will further victimize them and help their abusers evade justice?
“Instead, pro-abortion politicians are using the law as a bludgeon, attempting to crush the lives of men and women like Mark Houck whose only crime is believing that all people are equally valuable. The charges against Houck should have been laughed out of court. Pray for all the other 25 peaceful pro-life Christians persecuted by their government in 2022 through fake FACE Act violations.”
Harden (or CompassCare Director of Community Relations, Daniel Tomlinson) joins us now to discuss this matter further. His expertise will certainly prove useful.
Q&A:
- Initially, charges against Houck were thrown out of court. What do you think motivated the Department of Justice to once again pursue what they believed to be a violation of the FACE Act?
- What was your initial response to the hung jury finding Houck innocent?
- While this is a win for pro-life believers everywhere, do you think the Department of Justice and FBI will persecute more pro-life Christians for their faith?
- We’ve seen continuous attacks against pro-life pregnancy centers since the leak of the Dobbs ruling. Do you believe the situation will become more heated as it goes on?
- Is the FACE Act ever used against pro-abortion activists?
- One of your CompassCare locations in Buffalo was firebombed last summer; and despite having surveillance video of the attackers, the FBI has yet to make any arrests. How frustrating is it to you that justice has yet to be done?
- For those that are interested in supporting CompassCare and learning more about the services they provide, where can they go?
You can find out more information on our CompassCare community page.
About Rev. James Harden…
Rev. James R. Harden, M.Div. is the CEO of CompassCare Pregnancy Services and lives outside of Rochester, NY with his wife and ten children. Jim pioneered the first measurable and repeatable medical model in the pregnancy center movement, helping hundreds of centers nationwide become more effective at reaching more women and saving more babies from abortion. He has written extensively on medical ethics, executive leadership, and pro-life strategy.
CONTACT: Gerald McGlothlin at: geraldmcg@outlook.com or 919-437-0001.
