Deadlocked jurors are set to reconvene Monday in the case against a Pennsylvania pro-life activist who faces up to 11 years in prison for allegedly pushing a Planned Parenthood escort during a clash outside an abortion clinic.
Mark Houck, 48, was arrested by the FBI last September in front of his family at his home in rural Kintnersville, Pennsylvania, on charges that he violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act during an altercation he had with the escort in Philadelphia in October 2021.
Houck pleaded not guilty to violating the FACE Act, which prohibits "violent, threatening, damaging, and obstructive conduct intended to injure, intimidate, or interfere with the right to seek, obtain, or provide reproductive health services."
Houck, a Catholic who routinely engaged in prayerful protests outside abortion clinics, was accused of pushing 72-year-old Bruce Love after the escort allegedly yelled at Houck's 12-year-old son. Both Houck and his son testified during the trial last week.