Pro-life activist David Daleiden of the Center for Medical Progress (CMP) rejected a plea bargain deal on the charges slapped on him for creating a fake licence and posing as a buyer of human tissue during his undercover investigation of abortion service provider Planned Parenthood.
Daleiden and his employee Sandra Merritt, who printed the fake licence, were indicted by a Texas grand jury last month instead of Planned Parenthood, the defendant in the case.
His lawyers announced at a press conference that Daleiden refused a plea bargain that would have given him probation, which means the charges against him would be dropped if he keeps clean for a certain period of time, according to Raw Story.
Daleiden said until Texas authorities prosecute Planned Parenthood for the illegal sale of baby parts, the nefarious trade would continue in the state.
"I think we all know that every day that goes by that the Texas authorities do not prosecute Planned Parenthood for their illegal trade in baby parts, they are sending a message to the entire country. The state of Texas right now is open for business in baby body parts," Daleiden told supporters outside the courthouse.
His lawyer said the technique that CMP used in investigating Planned Parenthood is similar to how CBS' "60 Minutes" conducts its undercover probes.
"If we're going to be prosecuting undercover journalists, we are sending ourselves down a very, very dark path. This is fully in the tradition, a long storied tradition, of undercover journalism," he said.
He said instead of a plea bargain, Daleiden should receive an apology.
"What we want is an apology. He deserves an apology at this point. He is innocent of those charges," he said.
One Daleiden's supporters shouted, "Amen!"
Last year, CMP released videos of its investigation of Planned Parenthood about the sale of foetal parts.
It was recently discovered that a board member of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast is also working as a prosecutor at the Harris County District Attorney's office, which led the investigation of the abortion provider.
