Tiller’s Attorney wants media banned from courtroom.
Topeka, KS — A hearing over medical record subpoenas in a criminal investigation into abortion mills continues to be on hold pending a ruling by Shawnee County District Judge Richard Anderson on whether to allow media to cover the proceedings.
The Associated Press and the Kansas Press Association are asking Judge Anderson for the ability to cover the court hearing in which Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline has asked for 90 medical records from two abortion mills in his investigation into illegal late-term abortions and the concealment of child rape.
Kline has agreed to an order from the Kansas Supreme Court that the names of the abortion patients be redacted before being turned over to the Attorney General’s office. “We were never asking for patient names,” Kline has said in the past.
Attorney Lee Thompson, representing late-term abortionist George R. Tiller’s abortion mill, Women’s Health Care Services, is fighting both the subpoenas in the criminal investigation and allowing media into the courtroom.
“We think the press should not be present,” Thompson said.
“What is Thompson trying to hide?” asked Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “It certainly is not about patient privacy, because the names of the abortion patients have been ordered redacted by the Kansas Supreme Court. This demand by Thompson for secrecy only gives the impression that some kind of nafarious back-room dealings may be in the works. This calls into question the integrity of the court.”
“With Tiller under investigation by a County Grand Jury in Wichita for the death of a late-term abortion patient, this secrecy on Thompson’s behalf raises the suspicion that he may be trying to conceal information that could be incriminating to his client,” said Newman. “Let’s open up the court hearings and let the public hear the facts for themselves.”
If Tiller did nothing wrong ( as he alleges ), then why not allow the court to be open & hand over the records ? People, especially women, deserve to hear facts, not the b.s. that the abortion industry has been feeing us for years.
Many states select trial court judges differently. For example, in Nevada they are elected. In other states, they are appointed by the governor, essentially for as long as they want to serve. Federal district court judges, I believe, get lifetime appointments by the President. Kansas has two methods of selecting judges — general election and appointment, both, although I am not aware of how & why each is used. I suspect that a vacancy is filled by appointment for a term of years until the next election. Does anyone know?
I’d be curious — how did this judge get on the bench?
Part of the problem with either means of selection is that trial judges are sometimes political party hacks known less for their intellect & more for how much they donate to political parties & who they know. Sad but true. The problem is, is there a better alternative? I don’t know. Just because you’re a judge doesn’t mean you are competent to be one, and once you’re there (particularly in states where the judges are appointed) its basically impossible to be removed.
He obviously has something to hide. But then we don’t want the media distorting everything like they’ve been known to do (e.g. Terri Schindler’s condition)
I think the bigger problem with Tiller in general is that he has a huge “payroll” so to speak & it’s virtually impossible to know who every individual on it is. It’s tricky because he’s so good a funneling his money through 3rd parties.
I pray that this judge has a conscience & realizes that women are being hurt & killed, babies are being killed, and Tiller’s constant refusal to comply with the laws are allowing him to get away with murder.