The people who made that "Planned Parenthood profits by selling fetus organs" video were indicted

[Proteus_MST]

Well in this case, in a sting, they would have fake ID that would state their 'presumed' real age. That's the point - to see whether the bar would serve someone who the bar has reasonable suspicion of being underage. You wouldn't charge the cop conducting the sting for providing false id, you'd charge the bar for selling to someone underage.

This is what happened here. The PP Investigators got fake ID, and presumed based on that fake ID that he was someone who he was not. He was thus able to obtain the tapes and information for which he was privy. Given that the purpose of the fake ID was not to defraud the state, but rather to uncover malfeasance, he will walk from the indictment.

Ah ...
in this case I see a big difference:
In case of a cop faking his ID, he does so in fulfillment of his job as a government employee.
I am sure that governmental employees have more rights (which are well defined) with regards to measures they use, when they are at duty.
(for example a cop in fulfillment of his duties also has the rights to stop cars in order to control the papers (or the alcohol level) ... or to arrest people. I am sure if the same cop would do these things in his free time (i.e. when not on duty), then he could get suspended for it or face even worse criminal charges).
Similarly I guess that a simple firefighter would have no rights to arrest someone, even if at duty because, even though he is a governmental employee (just like a police officer), his rights at duty don´t encompass arrests.

If I understand it correctly the 2 people who faked their IDs in order to gather informations about organ trade by PP were just ordinary citizens ... and not governmental employees who did so in fulfillment of their duty ... and insofar had no rights to use fake IDs (and therefore are treated like any other criminal who uses a fake ID for his own gains(

[-Jrabbit]

I like the way Ben capitalizes "PP Investigators" as if that's something official.

[giblets]

Our friends daughter was caught using a fake ID and was busted by the cops while drinking in a bar... she was prosecuted, not the bar...

It would be hard for bars to stay in business if they were criminally liable every time they accidentally served alcohol to someone with a fake id

[Ben Kenobi]

In case of a cop faking his ID, he does so in fulfillment of his job as a government employee.

It works for journalists too, who last I checked weren't state employees.

I am sure that governmental employees have more rights (which are well defined) with regards to measures they use, when they are at duty.

Well, I can't see how exposing the sale of body parts is contra the law because the law is very explicit that you cannot sell human body parts.

Similarly I guess that a simple firefighter would have no rights to arrest someone, even if at duty because, even though he is a governmental employee (just like a police officer), his rights at duty don´t encompass arrests.

In the United States they have the concept of citizen arrests, where a citizen can report and take someone in so that they can be arrested if they are a witness to a crime being committed, and they have good reason to believe that the person taken in was responsible for it.

If I understand it correctly the 2 people who faked their IDs in order to gather informations about organ trade by PP were just ordinary citizens ... and not governmental employees who did so in fulfillment of their duty ... and insofar had no rights to use fake IDs (and therefore are treated like any other criminal who uses a fake ID for his own gains(

Again, PP violated the law here by selling baby parts. In the end I expect him to walk away from the indictment. He did not use fake ID to deceive the state or to obtain something he would not otherwise have gained. He did what many journalists have had to do in order to expose wrongdoing.

[Ben Kenobi]

I like the way Ben capitalizes "PP Investigators" as if that's something official.

They are now. PP made an enormous mistake by indicting someone who had not broken the law.

[-Jrabbit]

That was a Houston grand jury, not Planned Parenthood, making the indictments.

BTW, that same grand jury finds your statement,

PP violated the law here by selling baby parts

...to be a falsehood.

[Ben Kenobi]

That was a Houston grand jury, not Planned Parenthood, making the indictments.

Yes, the same grand jury for which one of it's members, including the lady making the indictment in the first place is a board member for planned parenthood in Houston.

BTW, that same grand jury finds your statement,

Oddly enough the atty general in TX disagrees. As a matter of law, they are not permitted to sell baby parts, dead, living or otherwise and the videos are quite clear that they are making millions of dollars by selling human parts.

Perhaps you'd find it objectionable if PP were digging up graves instead?

[-Jrabbit]

I'm just reading the news, Ben. You're the one attempting to interpret it.

Please explain how a grand jury convened specifically to address bringing charges against Planned Parenthood, based on these videotapes, as a matter of law, found nothing actionable.

[Ben Kenobi]

Please explain how a grand jury convened specifically to address bringing charges against Planned Parenthood, based on these videotapes, as a matter of law, found nothing actionable.

I'm more curious how digging up graves to sell the remains is wrong, but what PP does is legal. The laws are pretty blunt about it. You cannot sell human parts. Ever.

[-Jrabbit]

Well, if there's admissible evidence that Planned Parenthood is doing that, I fully expect they will be charged and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

But if the evidence is heavily edited CMP video "journalism" and Carly Fiorino bleating about zombie-film dramatics in the operating room, you'll have to stick with your curiosity and your righteous indignation.

Until then, take comfort that your Christian faith has a major and ongoing role in attempting to deny basic gynecological health care to millions of low-income American women. Well done.

[DaShi]

I guess "christians" never let facts get in the way of a good witch hunt.

[The Mad Monk]

60 Minutes just had another of their famous "hidden camera" exposes where Global Witness, a London-based nonprofit organization that exposes international corruption posed as representatives of third world countries attempting to illegally move funds into the United States. I wonder -- are they going to get dinged for false ids?

[Ben Kenobi]

Well, if there's admissible evidence that Planned Parenthood is doing that, I fully expect they will be charged and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

I've seen the videos. It was not a surprise to me, or to a great number of folks, fwiw.

But if the evidence is heavily edited CMP video "journalism" and Carly Fiorino bleating about zombie-film dramatics in the operating room, you'll have to stick with your curiosity and your righteous indignation.

What parts of the videos were heavily edited? PP charges that the videos themselves were edited, but everything I've seen shows that nothing pertinent was removed. Have you seen them, or just the PP press release?

Until then, take comfort that your Christian faith has a major and ongoing role in attempting to deny basic gynecological health care to millions of low-income American women. Well done.

Personally I'd rather prefer that the gynological health of women didn't involve killing their children.

[-Jrabbit]

Personally I'd rather prefer that the gynological health of women didn't involve killing their children.

[Dauphin]

60 Minutes just had another of their famous "hidden camera" exposes where Global Witness, a London-based nonprofit organization that exposes international corruption posed as representatives of third world countries attempting to illegally move funds into the United States. I wonder -- are they going to get dinged for false ids?

Investigative journalism has a code of conduct that, if followed, should provide adequate protections.

I've not read on what the indicted folks did, but I would suspect the code of conduct issue isn't applicable (either they didn't have one, aren't considered to qualify or didn't follow the rulebook).