God at Work in Dayton, Ohio FACE Case

The following is a chronology collected from both the OSA and ORN web pages detailing the trial of alleged FACE offenses in Dayton, Ohio.

The United States Department of Justice, no matter how much money it spends or how many hours it works, cannot seem to get “done” what it has been attempting to do for the past eight years now. In its frothing attempt to annihilate, obliterate, and ultimately destroy any peaceful proclamation of the Gospel of Christ outside abortion mills. It has suffered yet another setback. That’s right! Federal Judge Walter Rice, who declared a mistrial in the Justice Department’s FACE case against Operation Rescue and five named defendants on September 13, 1999, has now indefinitely postponed the retrial of that case which was to have begun on February 15, 2000.

There is no question that we are absolutely helpless against this huge bureaucratic monolith that stands opposed to those living out their faith in the streets of our cities. We have no weapon nor do we have armor that can withstand the onslaughts of the United States Department of Justice, yet we remain! How? God Himself is intervening on our behalf and on behalf of His precious children waiting to be born.

“Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from that noisy crowd of evildoers … They encourage each other in evil plans, they talk about hiding their snares … They plot injustice and say, ‘We have devised a perfect plan!’ … But God will shoot them with arrows … He will turn their own tongues against them and bring them to ruin … All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what He has done.” Psalm 64:2-9.

December, 1999

The United States Department of Justice Filled with Fury

In its relentless pursuit to silence the Gospel of Jesus Christ out side child-killings centers, the Justice Department is bringing several of us to trial in Washington, D.C., on December 9 for alleged violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) law. As with the Dayton, Ohio FACE case, to be tried in February of next year, the Justice Department has been less that discreet in its desire to smash and obliterate Operation Rescue. It is seeking a national injunction against all of us that we may never again go near an abortion mill in this country. In seeking to repent the miracle of Christmas from taking place at a abortion mills (the Word of God becoming flesh, the United States Department of Justice finds itself shaking its fist in the face of Almighty God! This is probably not a good idea.

October, 1999

The Battle Between Two Seeds Rages in Dayton, Ohio

After spending several days in Dayton, Ohio with the saints who are being unjustly brought to trial, I realized once again that we do not war against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. There is not a doubt that the United States Department of Justice is being used by the enemy to censor the Gospel of Jesus Christ at child-killing centers.

The recent revelations about what really happened in Waco, Texas, in March of 1993 demonstrate clearly that the Department of Justice knows how to lie, lie often, and cover it up well. Just a few years ago, it launched a multi-million dollar investigation in an attempt to fabricate a pro-life conspiracy to blow-up abortion mills and shoot abortionists. Ms. Reno placed federal marshals at several abortion mills for over a year to gather data. The investigation was a bust. There was not one shred of evidence of a conspiracy. There were no convictions. Thousands of man-hours and millions of dollars in taxpayer money went down the shoot in a witch-hunt to frame those who love Christ and His children.

Undeterred by the findings in her first investigation, Ms. Reno has appointed yet another task force to find her imagined pro-life conspiracy. Coupled with this, we have the Department of Justice spending hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of man-hours filing two civil FACE lawsuits against Operation Rescue in Dayton, Ohio and Washington, D.C.

If anyone is wondering why the Justice Department is not prosecuting child pornographers, drug dealers, gamblers, gun carriers, etc., it is because it is spending most of its time and money prosecuting and persecuting Christians who are living out their faith at child-killing centers.

October, 1999

Mistrial in Dayton

On September 13, 1999, Federal Judge Walter Rice declared a mistrial in the Justice Department’s federal lawsuit against Operation Rescue and five named defendants. “God sent confusion into the ranks of the Justice Department attorneys.” said Rick Nelson, attorney for Rusty Thomas, Jim Anderson, Flip Benham, and Operation Rescue. “We give all praise and glory to Jesus Christ, but the battle is not over. They are going to press this issue until the Christian witness is totally silenced at abortion mills.”

Rick Nelson, Tom Condit, and David Langdon are the courageous attorneys of record defending those who are bringing the Gospel of Christ to the gates of hell (the local abortion mill). They are doing it at no cost to the defendants but at great sacrifice to themselves and their families. Judge Rice kept them in Dayton for almost three weeks, at their own personal expense, while the Department of Justice muddled through its pathetic case at taxpayer expense. The vaunted United States Department of Justice spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to persecute and prosecute Christianity only to return to Washington, D.C., with its tail between its legs and a mistrial. How absurd!

Pharaoh’s officials pleaded with him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?” Exodus 10:7. Pharaoh, in his insane zeal to destroy God’s people, paid no attention to his advisers and was destroyed. In the same way, Adolf Hitler’s generals pleaded with him that Germany was in ruins and that continuing the war was insane, yet a demonic presence drove him to destruction.

The question must be asked of Janet Reno. How long will you continue this prosecution and persecution against God’s people? Your entire Department of Justice is unraveling before your very eyes. Yet, like Pharaoh and Hitler before you, you are insanely plunging on, totally devoid of reason. The Scripture is being fulfilled in you: “… He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

The same spirit that inhabited the shell of Pharaoh and Adolf Hitler now inhabits the shell of Janet Reno. Please pray for this poor woman who has been used by the devil to wreak havoc on the pro-life movement and is now being pummeled by him. She will surely be destroyed lest she repent and call on the Name of Jesus to rescue her from Satan’s merciless grasp. Jesus longs to save her. It is, however, her choice.

August, 1999

United States of America vs. Operation Rescue, August 23-27, 1999

The United States Department of Justice is coming after us with both feet as it attempts to squeeze every last breath from a people who love Jesus and His precious pre-born children. Because of the heinous act of laying our lives down that others might live at abortion mills in Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio during the summer of 1997, we are being railroaded by our own government into paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in civil penalties to the child-killing industry. Though many children are alive today because of the sacrificial acts of hundreds of Christians who gave up their freedom to speak for those who could not speak for themselves, these Christians are now considered enemies of America.

“Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.” Pr 28:4.

There is no question that our nation has forsaken God’s law and, because we have, the wicked are being praised and the righteous are being excoriated. It is our duty to resist governmental apostasy and rightly represent the law of God no matter the cost. And that it cost much the annals of Christian history will testify. Please keep us in your prayers as our attorneys and the saints have the privilege of representing Jesus once again in the courts of our land.

August 23, 1999
Press Release

Dayton, Ohio Becomes Flashpoint in Abortion Battle

“Through a series of events that could only have been orchestrated by God Himself, Dayton, Ohio has become the focal point in our nation’s battle over abortion.” Said Rev. Flip Benham, National Director of Operation Rescue.

Martin Haskell, the originator of the partial-birth abortion procedure, offices in Dayton and has botched two abortions recently. One child lived for three hours and then died in the arms of Shelly Lowe, a medical technician at Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati.

Another baby was born two weeks ago at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, a survivor of Mr. Haskell’s horrific procedure. This baby is alive today and residing at Children’s Medical Center in Dayton. The baby has been placed in the charge of Montgomery County. The Children’s Medical Center has received hundreds of calls to adopt the baby.

Operation Rescue and six named defendants including its National Director are being tried today in Federal Court in Dayton. The United States Department of Justice is seeking violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) statute for rescue activities that took place in the summer of 1997 at two of Martin Haskell’s abortion mills. Many children were saved at the event.

The Judge presiding over this trial is Judge Walter Rice, who overruled the State of Ohio’s law banning partial birth abortions. He is a judge who views himself above the law.

Hundreds of Christians, several Dayton and Kettering Policemen, City Council woman Peggy Leaner, and dozens of pastors gathered in front of the Federal Court House in Dayton to support those who are being unjustly brought to trial.

“The people of America are becoming fed up with a judicial system that continues to protect men like Haskell, whose butchery is well documented, while prosecuting those whose love for the Lord and His children is equally well documented.” said Rev. Benham.

August 19, 1999
Press Release

The United States of America vs. Operation Rescue, et. al.

In an unprecedented move to thoroughly squash the Christian witness at abortion mills in America, the United States Department of Justice has taken upon itself to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to pursue and sue the one force the abortion industry fears most – Operation Rescue!

Using the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) statute, the Justice Department is bringing to its Federal Court in Dayton, Ohio several named and unnamed defendants to prevent them from ever going to an abortion mill again. The case begins August 23, 1999 with Judge Walter Rice presiding over the trial. He is the judge who, by fiat, overruled the state of Ohio’s law banning partial birth abortions.

Why does the abortion industry fear Operation Rescue? Because Operation Rescue represents the Church of Jesus Christ fighting God’s battle in God’s way. Simple Christians living out their faith, day after day, at places where children die. The gates of hell cannot prevail against God’s Church. The steady decline in the number of abortions, abortionists, and abortion mills attest to this fact.

“Unfortunately our own government, sworn to protect life, has become its greatest enemy. It has become a willing dupe in the hands of the abortion industry.” Said Rev. Flip Benham, National Director of Operation Rescue. “The United States of America has declared Christians enemies of our own country. Never has more been spent, more malevolent legislation passed, more absurd court rulings levied, than this present effort to silence the speech of gentle Christians at abortion mills.”

Miami Valley Law enforcement officers will join Christians from all over Miami Valley Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. at the Federal Court House, 200 West Second Street, in Dayton, Ohio to reaffirm their allegiance to Almighty God and their sworn oath to protect innocent life. “As law enforcement officers we do not appreciate, nor condone being utilized as tools to further protect the morally wrong slaughter of unborn children by way of the partial birth abortion procedure.”

Words from David Mehaffie

“It is clear from the wording of this lawsuit, that this action is not limited to the named defendants.” Said David Mehaffie, the only native of Dayton named in the lawsuit. “If you or your church can be described as attempting to or encouraging others to, in any way hinder a woman offering her child to be murdered, you too can be “named” among the defendants. Janet Reno and the Department of Justice refer to this ‘law’ as Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE). In this case they seek $60,000.00 PER DEFENDANT and $40,000 per defendant would go directly to the abortionist. There is also the threat of 2 to 5 years in a Federal Penitentiary.”

Dave goes on to say, “I in no way wish to be “rescued” from the wrath of this court. On the contrary, there is no place else I would choose to be. For if we stand idly by while judges pass decrees that support murder, truly we forfeit our own souls. Better to hold no to my soul in prison than to lie in bed with my wife and my children nearby, having betrayed all that I have told them I stand for. The enemy wages this battle, not only for the lives of the innocent and the souls of women who give them up, but also for the very soul of the church in Dayton.”