Wes Hills

THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS

Sept. 14, 1999

Judge declares mistrial in abortion protest case

Dayton, Ohio -- Thomas W. Condit, an attorney for one of the defendants, said Chief U.S. District Judge Walter H. Rice took the action in connection with the final witness whose testimony was sought by attorneys for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department. David Mehaffie, director of Operation Rescue National's weeklong "Return to Truth Campaign" in July 1997 and the only local defendant in the trial that began Sept. 3, hailed Rice's action. No date has been set for a new trial. Frederick H. Nelson, the attorney for Philip Benham, director of Operation Rescue, said the case should be "of concern to all people who want to demonstrate peacefully."