SAN FRANCISCO, CA (MPG) – Sandra Merritt filed a reply in support of the motion asking the San Francisco Superior Court to dismiss the charge regarding “false identification documents” brought against her by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for her undercover journalism work in exposing Planned Parenthood’s trafficking in baby body parts.

Judge Christopher Hite dismissed six of the original 15 felony charges as he made factual findings that the recorded conversations were not confidential. Given those factual findings, Attorney General Becerra cannot bring those dismissed charges again. Becerra then filed an “Information” on December 13, 2019, adding an additional count to Merritt’s charges, even though the statute of limitations had long ago expired for any new claims.

Liberty Counsel represents Merritt and has shown that, to date, no other citizen journalist or journalism organization has ever been charged with a crime for undercover recordings made in the public interest. In fact, Merritt and her co-defendant, David Daleiden, the founder of the Center for Medical Progress, are the first undercover journalists to be criminally prosecuted in California’s history.

Liberty Counsel’s Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “Attorney General Becerra has tried to pull another trick out of his bag with another politically-motivated charge to cover for the evil acts of Planned Parenthood. This too shall fail.”