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Abortionist Martin Haskell's wife, in a green shirt, sits in the court with Haskell's counsel to the right.Bryan Kemper / Stand True

Abortionist Martin Haskell has been ordered to close an abortion clinic by the same judge who ordered a “stay” to keep it open.

Stand True Ministries' Bryan Kemper — who was in the courtroom during the hearing — told LifeSiteNews that Hamilton County Judge Jerome Metz said the burden of proof was on Haskell's Sharonville, Ohio clinic to show that closing the clinic would cause harm to women. The ruling overturns a stay Metz issued in January that prevented the Ohio Department of Health from shutting down Haskell's clinic.

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Kemper said Metz told Haskell's lawyers that the clinic has until the end of the stay, five days, to close. An appeal is possible, which could keep the clinic open.

According to Kemper, protesters on both sides were at the courthouse. Priests for Life and other pro-life groups attended, standing in opposition to NARAL supporters.

Kemper said Haskell did not show up to the court. According to Kemper, a lawyer for Haskell said that “due to the expected environment, he didn't think it was prudent to come.” However, Haskell's wife arrived at the courthouse with the abortionist's two lawyers.

“This man is such a coward that he didn't show up, but sent his wife,” said Kemper.

Haskell, who is a prominent Democratic donor in Southwest Ohio, has been under legal pressure from the state for years over the practices at his clinic. In 2010, he refused to follow state laws with regards to abortion clinic standards, eventually gaining a variance. The standards included requirements that clinics be licensed as ambulatory surgical centers and have a transfer agreement with a local hospital.

Haskell's fight was renewed after the Kasich administration pulled the variance because Haskell violated a key condition of it: He had replaced two of his doctors without telling the state. Haskell fought the administration, eventually receiving the stay against the government by Metz.

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Kemper told LifeSiteNews that Metz had previously not fully examined the case when he issued the stay, but having done so prior to today's hearing he was able to determine that the burden of proof related to keeping the clinic open was not on the Kasich administration, but on Haskell.

In addition to legal violations, Operation Rescue has found evidence that several medical emergencies have taken place at Haskell's clinic. These emergencies have endangered the lives of pregnant mothers.

Political blogger Justin Higgins, who spent six years in Ohio politics as an activist, commentator, and elected GOP county official, told LifeSiteNews, “It is good to see a judge siding in favor of sensible women's health policies and against Haskell's corrupt abortion racket. I only wonder how long it will take for Haskell's hand chosen political benefactors to stop relying on his dirty money.”