Abortion clinics' request rejected / LJWorld.com

Archive for Friday, December 1, 2006

Kline investigation of medical records allowed to continue

December 1, 2006

Topeka — Attorney General Phill Kline's investigation into two abortion clinics will continue after the Kansas Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a request from the clinics to take control of the probe.

Kline, who will remain in office just five more weeks, said he was pleased by the court's ruling, adding that the clinics' efforts "were without legal basis."

Pedro Irigonegaray, an attorney representing the clinics, did not return a telephone call for comment. The court made its decision without comment.

One day before the Nov. 7 election, the clinics asked the court to take over the investigation and appoint a special prosecutor to look into an alleged leak surrounding the probe.

Kline, an abortion opponent, lost his re-election bid to Democrat Paul Morrison in a campaign dominated by the fight about access to medical records from the clinics.

For two years, Kline has battled the clinics operated by Planned Parenthood in Overland Park and by Dr. George Tiller, a late-term abortion specialist, in Wichita.

Kline sought through a lower court the records of 90 women and girls from the clinics, alleging possible sexual crimes against minors and illegal late-term abortions.

The Kansas Supreme Court allowed the subpoena of records provided that patient identities were redacted.

Kline received the records Oct. 24.

Several days later, he appeared on "The O'Reilly Factor" television show to talk about the case.

During the show, host Bill O'Reilly said he had information that the records showed many of the late-term abortions, which he called "executing babies," were granted for depression.

Kline said he has no idea where O'Reilly got his information.

The clinics said O'Reilly's comments and Kline's appearance on the program showed that the women's identities could be in jeopardy of being disclosed.

On Thursday, Kline said disclosure of their identities "has never been in jeopardy and they are not under any form of investigation."

He noted that Shawnee County District Court Judge Richard Anderson, whose court has overseen the investigation, stated in response to the clinics that no patient would be identified and that the medical files may contain evidence of possible crimes.

Kline said the full investigation includes more than 175 cases of live-birth records, abortion records and DNA samples obtained through the Child Rape Protection Act.

Potential crimes under investigation include child rape, rape by force or fear, failure to report suspicion of child sexual abuse, incest, making false information, and violations of the state's late-term abortion statute, he said.

The state high court's refusal to intervene will keep the investigation going when Kline leaves office in January and Morrison takes over.

Morrison has asked Kline not to file any charges in the investigation before he takes office. During the campaign, Morrison said Kline's investigation was an abuse of power.

After the election, when asked what he would do with the investigation when he is sworn in, Morrison said: "That is an open case now, and I have an obligation to look at all open cases up there, which we will do, and we'll do that quickly. We will give that the attention that deserves. Whether that's a lot or a little remains to be seen."

Discussion

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1 December 2006
at 1:19 a.m.

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Ragingbear (Anonymous) says…

Kline still has some clout. He isn't going after the clinics now though, he is covering his rear because he knows that once he steps down, all of his political enemies are going to sweep in and hang him with whatever they find.
1 December 2006
at 5:28 a.m.

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KS (Anonymous) says…

Raginbear, get real. Where do you get this stuff
1 December 2006
at 5:59 a.m.

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elkwc36 (Anonymous) says…

Ragingbear I agree. He is ruthless but now has the same fear he has made others feel.
1 December 2006
at 9:32 a.m.

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Machiavelli_mania (Anonymous) says…

He can well be hanged for calling for records, citing the investigation of child rape, of 90 people or so, when only 10-15, or less, of the people in those records were minors!!

Kline should be hung and put out for display for all to spit, or whatever bodily fluid you wish, on him.

We all know his obvious agenda. It is to snoop in our bedrooms. To put the government in our bedrooms. Such an interest by Kline in what goes on in our bedrooms certainly makes one wonder about the barely-contained undercurrents in his personality that are latent.

I am so glad that Kansas De-KLINED.

I am GOP and pro-choice.
1 December 2006
at 11:46 a.m.

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consumer1 (Anonymous) says…

I have heard that all the democrats do in the bedroom is sit on the edge of the bed and talk about how great it is going to be…
1 December 2006
at 1:21 p.m.

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cowgomoo (Anonymous) says…

Where's the outrage for Judge Anderson who determined that there was probable cause that evidence of crimes were contained within these files or the Kansas Supreme Court that upheld Judge Anderson's opinion?

In addition to child sexual abuse, there is also possible evidence of illegal late term abortions (A level 10 felony) regardless of the age of the patient.

O'Reilly stated where he got his information. It wasn't from Kline or Kline's office, it was from the KDHE. Their website is chock full of abortion statistics. Look for yourselves.

A per curiam opinion shooting down this latest attempt to hide possible evidence of child sexual abuse is the most telling thing so far.
1 December 2006
at 2:12 p.m.

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75x55 (Anonymous) says…

“We all know his obvious agenda. It is to snoop in our bedrooms. ”

Are there child rapists to be found there?

1 December 2006
at 4:57 p.m.

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badger (Anonymous) says…

That's the problem people have with Kline's actions, 75x55. There aren't.

There aren't any in my bedroom, or my neighbor's bedroom, or my partner's bedroom, or my best friend's bedroom, or a vast majority of bedrooms in general. But because someone once told him that there was once a child rapist in some bedroom somewhere, Kline seems to feel that gives him the right to look in any bedroom in Kansas under any circumstances he sees fit.

I believe he's abused the powers of his office to engage in a personal vendetta against abortion clinics, and that he's using the thin cover of 'child rapists could be anywhere!' to rampage through the medical records of consenting adults whose sex lives and personal decisions are perfectly legal and no business of his at all.
1 December 2006
at 7:52 p.m.

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rhd99 (Anonymous) says…

Look, Kline got what he wanted this time, folks, but his time is running out FAST, & not a moment too soon. The Right-wing radicals in this state have fed US with more venom than I care to mention. Also, when you got connie morris, Kline, CORKY, Barnett, WAGLE, & Steve ABRAMS, does that sum it up enough for you all? These people & their brand of politics have made our great state the butt of late night talk show jokes for so many years, but worse yet, their messages promoted hatred towards those who took exception to their brand of politics. That all said, don't you all agree it is time for US to take Kansas BACK? With Morrison elected, Sebelius re-elected, & RYUN out & Boyda in, Kansas' future is not going to be bright overnight, but change is good, & these people are a great start to what I hope puts Kansas back on the map in a positive way.
1 December 2006
at 11:54 p.m.

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Purell (Anonymous) says…

If I were a masochist, I'd stick long needles in my eyes after reading this