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Pro-Life Group Accuses Kansas Judge of Involvement in Illegal Abortion Cover-Up

Judge trying to "conceal criminal conduct by abortionists," says spokeswomen

By Michael Baggot

OLATHE, KS, April 29, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The prominent pro-life group Operation Rescue accused Judge Stephen Tatum of being involved in an illegal abortion cover up, in light of his decision yesterday to squash a subpoena that would have required the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to certify evidence being used against Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri (PPKM) in a 107-count criminal case.

"By denying evidence to prosecutors that could confirm that Planned Parenthood falsified reports to cover up for illegal abortions, Judge Tatum has officially joined the Kansas abortion corruption scandal.  We call for Judge Tatum to immediately rescue himself from the Planned Parenthood case in the interest of justice, since he cannot be trusted to rule impartially," said Operation Rescue spokesperson Cheryl Sullenger.

Johnson County District Attorney Phillip Kline filled the subpoena in order to confirm that the documents he obtained as State Attorney General are authentic records of PPKM's illegal activities.

In October 2007, Kline filed a criminal complaint against PPKM in which he accused the organization of manufacturing or forging documents related to 23 late-term abortions.

Judge Richard Anderson, who presided over earlier investigations of PPKM, has testified under oath that there are discrepancies between PPKM's records and the KDHE's, thus suggesting that PPKM has falsified documents.

Yvonne Anderson, chief counsel for the KDHE, has pointed out that only the attorney general and Board of Healing Arts are allowed to use documents with identifying information about abortion patients.

"The court finds that the subpoena at issue here would require the disclosure of privileged or protected matter and that no exception or waiver applies," Tatum stated yesterday. "As a result the court must quash the subpoena."

However, as Jennifer Giroux of the pro-life group Women Influencing the Nation told LifeSiteNews.com, the "records are already redacted from when they were received."  In other words, the documents Kline requests reveal the reasons given for the 23 late-term abortions, but do not reveal the names or other personal information of the women who received the abortion.

"People should be aware that the records in question are not women's medical files, but are simply reports that Planned Parenthood made to the KDHE as mandated by the Legislature.  At no time has anyone's privacy ever been at risk," added Sullenger.

While Planned Parenthood attorney Pedro Irigonegaray has earlier claimed in court that Kline's case would collapse without the KDHE's certification, Kline insists that he can proceed without the KDHE's cooperation.  Nonetheless, Kline stated that gaining KDHE certification would enable his case to develop in "a more efficient manner."

To certify the documents, Kline will now need to "call a series of witnesses to establish a chain of custody to establish where documents came from," Sullenger told LifeSiteNews.com.

Establishing a chain of custody is "a long and tedious process" that will cause Kline more work than if KDHE had simply cooperated with the subpoena, Sullenger added.

"This is just a blatant matter of preventing prosecutors from being able to properly do their jobs in order to conceal criminal conduct by abortionists.  Judge Tatum should not only rescue himself, but he should face serious sanctions for obstructing justice."

Sullenger told LifeSiteNews.com that she hopes the increased exposure of Kansas abortion industry corruption will lead to the end of taxpayer funding to PP, which recently reported $336 million in government funding during 2006.

The preliminary hearing against PPKM is still scheduled for May 27 and 28.

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

Hearings against Kansas Planned Parenthood Delayed Until May
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08040706.html

Kansas Department of Health Refuses Documents Key to Case Against Planned Parenthood
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/apr/08040106.html

Commentary: In Defense of Phill Kline
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/feb/08022502.html

Pro-Abortion Kansas Attorney General Resigns During Sex Scandal
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/dec/07121409.html

Kansas Attorney General Accused of Interfering with Investigation of Late-Term Abortionist
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/dec/07121005.html

107-Count Grand Jury Indictment Against Planned Parenthood Could Open "New Front" in US Abortion Fight
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/oct/07102503.html

Renowned Psychiatrist Witness in Notorious Late-Term Abortionist Case Breaks Silence: Threatened by Kansas Attorney General
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jun/07061301.html

New Kansas Attorney General Immediately Fires Prosecutor of Abortionist Tiller
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jan/07011107.html

Learn more about Operation Rescue:
http://www.operationrescue.org

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