There's been a "game-changer" at the California civil trial in which Planned Parenthood is suing the investigators whose undercover videos exposed the abortion industry's scheme to profit from the sale of baby body parts.

For the first time, jurors were allowed to see portions of the videos that were released in 2015.

The videos -- featuring Planned Parenthood executives making admissions on hidden camera -- caused a furor that caught the attention of lawmakers.

California regulators shut down businesses that had been buying body parts, and two congressional committees referred companies and individuals for possible prosecution. The committees cited a federal law that bans profiting from the sale of body parts.

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In the California case, Planned Parenthood is seeking $16 million in damages from the Center for Medical Progress videographers, alleging violations of privacy laws.

The defendants, David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt, argue the videos were made in a public restaurant where their conversations could be overheard.

Operation Rescue, whose president Troy Newman is being sued as a board member of CMP, provided a report from the trial.

"The jury was stunned. It was the first time during the three-week trial that they had seen any of the debated video. It was a game changer and a huge victory for the pro-life defendants. Planned Parenthood's star witness turned into a star witness for the defense. It could not have been a better day."

A second juror held his head in his hands during the playing of the video.

A video on the court testimony:

A video by the Thomas More Law Center about the testimony:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uK-ypSKqKA

The American Center for Law and Justice, Liberty Counsel, Life Legal Defense Fund and the Freedom of Conscience Defense Foundation are defending the videographers.

The witness on the stand was Deborah Nucatola, former medical director for Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

OR said she was was shown "munching salad and sipping wine while she dispassionately discussed in graphic detail the ways she altered second-trimester abortion procedures – her specialty – to ensure that organs were intact for organ procurement companies, which paid Planned Parenthood for the aborted baby tissues."

"Nucatola also described how she was upset about the release of the videos, and again sobbed when relating how she and her family were 'damaged' by them," OR said. "That moment may have provided a turning point for the defense. Upon cross examination one pro-life attorney questioned Nucatola about the damages caused by the video. Then he brought up statements she had made under oath during an earlier deposition."

In the deposition, Nucatola said the release of the videos was "no big deal" that "did not damage me."

OR said that in addition, she made sworn statements such as: "'I did nothing wrong.' 'I don't care if these videos are released.' 'There is nothing wrong with what I said.'"

Operation Rescue's observer said: "This completely impeached Nucatola's testimony and destroyed her credibility. Then came the defining moment for the pro-life defendants.

"Judge William Orrick had previously denied all requests to show any of the video taken by the Center for Medical Progress to the jury. However, yesterday, he allowed the playing of five minutes of raw, uncut video from the lunch meeting between Nucatola and the undercover pro-life journalists who posed as representatives of an organ procurement company."

The courtroom observer told Operation Rescue that tears could been seen on the faces of some members of the jury as they watched Nucatola speaking on video "about liver, lungs, hearts, muscle, and calvarium (baby heads) that were harvested from the bodies of aborted babies."

The civil case is expected to last several more weeks. Meanwhile, a ruling is expected soon in a criminal case over the same issues.

An earlier witness for Planned Parenthood admitted under oath that he had essentially boasted online of being an abortionist, but then had also claimed his identity was outed by the videos.

"Counselor, you got me," he conceded.

Judge William Orrick is hearing the case under a cloud.

He was on the board of a community organization and negotiated a no-fee lease for Planned Parenthood in the community center he helped run.

The judge previously refused the request of defendants to recuse himself from the case because of his conflict of interest.

At trial, he repeatedly has prevented evidence helpful to the defendants from being admitted.

Abortion politics

The judge's pro-abortion stance could be explained partly by a Federalist report that Orrick not only was appointed by Barack Obama, "the most extreme proponent of abortion ever to hold the White House," but also was a top fundraiser for Obama, bundling at least $200,000, according to Public Citizen reports.

Orrick’s wife, Caroline Farrow Orrick, partners with her husband in their political activism, and she is his co-bundler, according to Public Citizen.

She's also a public supporter of extreme abortion policies, the Federalist said.

"Her YouTube user page shows that the first video she ever 'liked' was from an extreme pro-abortion group called the Center for Reproductive Justice. The slick, celebrity-laden video called for people to sign a 'bill of rights' that asserts a right to abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy, a position shared by very few Americans. It further calls for taxpayer funding of contraception, abortifacients and abortion. And, finally, it says that all health care plans should be required under penalty of law to cover abortion, abortifacients, and other anti-reproductive services — even if they have religious objections such as those held by the Little Sisters of the Poor," the report said.

The report noted that among groups she "likes" is Keep America Pro-Choice.

"One of the more alarming 'likes' on Mrs. Orrick’s Facebook page is of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which are basically a campy gay version of Westboro Baptists. The group has been around San Francisco for 35 years, beginning when a few men obtained nun habits under false pretense. Members adopt profane names and blaspheme Jesus Christ and the Christian church. Some twenty years ago, the group began an Easter Sunday pub crawl parodying the stations of the cross, and sending up the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene and other saints revered by Christians. They end the event by mocking the Eucharist with vanilla wafers and Jägermeister. They also hold a 'Hunky Jesus' contest where men compete to be the sexiest Jesus look-alike. The group also supports abortion and has partnered with Planned Parenthood in the past," the report said.

Here are two of the videos released by CMP:

One of the videos that has been suppressed by Orrick includes more information about the body-parts industry.

It was available only briefly online.

However, transcripts of comments by abortion executives have been preserved.

Lisa Harris, medical director for Planned Parenthood of Michigan: "Our stories don't really have a place in a lot of pro-choice discourse and rhetoric, right? The heads that get stuck that we can't get out. The hemorrhages that we manage."

Susan Robinson of Planned Parenthood of Mar Monte in San Jose, California: "The fetus is a tough little object and taking it apart, I mean taking it apart, on day one is very difficult.'

Talcott Camp, deputy director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Reproductive Health Freedom Project: "I'm like oh my god! I get it! When the skull is broken, that's really sharp. I get it, I understand why people are talking about getting that skull out, that calvarium."

Deborah Nucatola, senior director of medical services at Planned Parenthood Federation of America: "You know, sometimes she'll tell me she wants brain, and we'll, you know, leave the calvarium in 'til last, and then try to basically take it, or actually, you know, catch everything, and even keep it separate from the rest of the tissue so it doesn't get lost."

Uta Landy, founder of the Consortium of Abortion providers for Planned Parenthood: "An eyeball just fell down into my lap, and that is gross."

Her comment was followed by raucous laughter from the abortionists at the meeting of the National Abortion Federation.

In December 2015, the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives referred the Planned Parenthood Federation of American and six regional affiliates to the Department of Justice for criminal investigation.

Operation Rescue noted little attention was given to the issue under President Obama, but after Donald Trump moved into office, the investigations "appeared to show signs of life."

See a CMP video about Planned Parenthood skirting federal law:

The "Lamborghini" executive:

Paying attention to who's in the room when infants are born alive:

Altering abortion procedures:

Selling body parts a "valid exchange":