Judge won’t disqualify colleague from abortion video case

SAN FRANCISCO – A U.S. District Court judge has rejected an attempt to disqualify a fellow judge from a lawsuit over secret video recordings by an anti-abortion group.

Judge James Donato ruled on Monday that the Center for Medical Progress had presented no evidence that would call Judge William Orrick’s impartiality into question.

Orrick is presiding over a lawsuit against the centre and one of its leaders, David Daleiden, by an association of abortion providers, the National Abortion Federation.

Daleiden sought to disqualify Orrick from the lawsuit, saying Orrick has a longstanding relationship with an organization that partners with Planned Parenthood and his wife “liked” Facebook posts critical of Daleiden.

Daleiden said in a statement he planned to continue trying to disqualify Orrick from another lawsuit against the centre.