Overruled: Tiller's Motions for Stay in Producing Abortion Records Fail
by Staff
February 8, 2008
WICHITA, Kans., (christiansunite.com) -- Attorneys for late-term abortionist George R. Tiller were in court this morning asking Judge Paul Buchanan for a stay of his order that over 2,000 late-term abortion records should be produced for the grand jury.Laura Shanneyfelt told the court that a mandamus action was filed with the Kansas Supreme Court this morning asking for all four subpoenas issued by the grand jury be quashed and requesting an emergency stay while the court considered their motion. Shanneyfelt asked Judge Buchanan to stay his order to produce records pending the outcome of the Supreme Court motions. Judge Buchanan denied that motion and refused to issue a stay of any length.
Tiller was to have begun the process of producing the abortion records Thursday at noon, but that deadline passed without any indication that Tiller was making any effort to comply with the court order. Judge Buchanan told Shanneyfelt to "work it out" with the District Attorney or face the possibility of consequences for failing to produce.
Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, who was in court for this morning's hearing, said, "These delay tactics are not about patient privacy but about hiding incriminating information from a grand jury that has the power to indict. I doubt if Tiller has any intention of ever producing truthful records. It is shameful for him to hide behind the skirts of his patients in order to save himself from having to face a legal investigation."
"The more of these worthless motions are made by Tiller's lawyers, the guiltier they are making him look," said Newman.
Shanneyfelt also asked Judge Buchanan for a protective order that Deputy District Attorney Ann Swegle said would impede her ability to do her job with the grand jury and would have required that she seek permission from Buchanan and give prior notice to Tiller's attorneys before she would be allowed to discharge certain duties. The judge overruled that and every other motion brought by Tiller's defense team.
Tiller's attorneys also asked for permission to alter the patient record numbering system and reassign new numbers to the abortion files. Swegle indicated that the patient numbers were critical to the grand jury investigation. Judge Buchanan ruled the grand jury is entitled to the true patient numbers.
About Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
