Judge rejects Planned Parenthood injunction request

Pro-life forces are celebrating a judge's refusal to give Planned Parenthood an injunction preventing a former branch director from talking about her experiences – and why she quit to become a pro-life activist.

Former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson with Coalition for Life Director Shawn Carney (photo: Coalition for Life)

"I am gratified that Planned Parenthood has failed in its misguided effort to silence its former clinic director in Bryan–College Station, Texas, who experienced a spiritual conversion after witnessing an abortion and is now pro-life," said David Bereit, national director of the 40 Days for Life campaign.

The district court judge today rejected Planned Parenthood's demand for an injunction against Abby Johnson, who quit as director of the abortion business branch last month. The judge also rejected a similar request from Planned Parenthood targeting the Coalition for Life, a local organization.

The ruling from Judge J.D. Langley concluded Planned Parenthood did not offer reasons that would convince him of the need for "the extreme remedy of injunctive relief."

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The company had sought court intervention to block disclosure of confidential patient information, something Johnson said she never considered doing anyway.

WND reported earlier when Johnson was interviewed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee on his Fox News Channel show:

And in an earlier interview with WND, Johnson told of Planned Parenthood's abortion quotas, which she said were needed to generate revenue for the organization.

"We'd have a goal every month for abortion clients and for family planning clients," she said.

Johnson, 29, said the Bryan, Texas, Planned Parenthood clinic performed surgical abortions every other Saturday, but it began expanding access to abortion to increase earnings.

She reported being pleased with the newest court decision.

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"The truth about abortion that Abby witnessed on an ultrasound machine at Planned Parenthood underscores the fact that abortion is not health care, and it should not be funded in any way by the government," said Bereit.

Johnson even was mentioned by name during Saturday's U.S. House debate over an amendment designed to limit taxpayer funding of abortions.

In remarks on the House floor, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said, "Self-described as 'extremely pro-choice,' but now pro-life, Abby Johnson said she watched an unborn child 'crumple' before her very eyes as the infant was vacuumed and dismembered by a suction device 20-30 times more powerful than a household vacuum cleaner. 'I could see the baby try to move away … I just thought what am I doing … never again.'"

Johnson told Huckabee she first got involved with Planned Parenthood because of its efforts to prevent pregnancy.

But she said her experience watching an abortion left her mind racing and her heart beating fast.

"For whatever reason I was called in to help. My job was to hold the ultrasound probe on the abdomen," she said. "When I looked at the screen, I saw a baby on the screen. She was about 13 weeks pregnant at the time. I saw a full side profile. I saw face to feet on the ultrasound.

"I saw the probe going into the woman's uterus. At that moment I saw the baby moving, trying to get away from the probe," she continued.

"I thought, 'It's fighting for its life.' I thought, 'It's life. It's alive.'

"I dropped the ultrasound probe. I scrambled and put [the probe] back in place. So many things were going through my mind. I was thinking about my daughter, who's three," she said.

"I was just thinking, 'What am I doing here? What am I doing here? There was life in here and now there's not.'"