Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 22, 2008 12:08:18 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Anti-Abortion Groups Use Grand Juries on Foes

Posted Jun 17, 08 3:01 PM CDT in US 

(Newser) – Anti-abortion activists in Kansas are using an obscure 19th-century statute to convene grand juries to hear evidence against abortion-performing doctors, the New York Times reports. In several states, citizens who collect enough signatures can circumvent prosecutors and order their own investigation of an alleged crime. A Kansas doctor, for example, is being investigated to see if he performs illegal late-term abortions.

Critics decry the tactic as political harassment. “This is an abuse of the grand jury system,” said one Republican state senator from Kansas. “It’s being used in a political way to further a political cause.” One anti-abortion advocate disagreed: “This is a measure for the people to get some justice,” he said, “and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Source New York Times

1 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Why Pro-Lifers Shun Her Abortion Ban

    Nov 1, 08 7:22 PM CDT
    Why Pro-Lifers Shun Her Abortion Ban Why is Kristi Burton not a pro-life star? The 21-year-old has single-handedly conceived and championed an amendment to Colorado’s constitution that, if approved by voters, would define a fetus as a person, paving the way for an abortion ban. But top pro-life organizations are keeping away from Burton and her cause, worried that it will trigger a losing legal battle, Newsweek reports.
    More »

  • Gays Leave the Closet, Abortion Moves Back In

    Oct 17, 08 3:26 PM CDT
    Gays Leave the Closet, Abortion Moves Back In With Connecticut last week becoming the third state to allow same-sex couples to marry, a group once very much stigmatized becomes more and more mainstream, writes Ellen Goodman in the Boston Globe. But even as homosexuals step out of the closet, women who’ve had abortions are stepping in. While nearly everyone knows someone who is gay, we don’t always know that we know someone who’s had an abortion.
    More »

  • If Roe Goes, States May Ban Cross-Border Abortions

    Sep 28, 08 7:51 PM CDT
    If Roe Goes, States May Ban Cross-Border Abortions If John McCain wins and puts conservatives on the Supreme Court, not only could Roe v. Wade go down—states may prohibit women from crossing state lines for abortions, Linda Hirshman writes in the Washington Post. Past rulings and Constitutional interpretations don't clearly support such laws, but times have changed since 1972, and many top legal minds "believe that this is something states probably can do," writes Hirshman. More »

  • Google Changes Policy, Accepts Anti-Abortion Ads

    Sep 17, 08 7:30 PM CDT
    Google Changes Policy, Accepts Anti-Abortion Ads Google today changed its worldwide advertising policy to let anti-abortion groups buy space on its site, the London Times reports. Google previously banned pro-lifers from placing ads opposite abortion-related search terms, but a British group sued the company for violating activists’ free speech rights. Says one group member: The Christian Institute “is not a group of headbangers and would set out its position in a pretty factual, pretty sensible way.”
    More »

  • McCain Won't Rule Out Pro-Choice VP

    Aug 14, 08 4:41 PM CDT
    McCain Won't Rule Out Pro-Choice VP John McCain would consider a run for the White House with a pro-choice veep at his side, ABC News reports. When asked about Tom Ridge, McCain told the Weekly Standard that the former Homeland Security chief shouldn’t be “ruled out” for the No. 2 job because he supports abortion rights. Dem-turned-Independent Joe Lieberman, another McCain short-lister, is also pro-choice.
    More »

Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, center, speaks during a press conference outside George Tiller's clinic in Wichita, Kan., Wednesday, April 18, 2007.   (AP Photo/Larry W. Smith)
Dr. George Tiller speaks during a rally in this, Jan. 19, 2002 file photo. Tiller is asking Kansas' highest court to block a grand jury investigation of him that was initiated by anti-abortion groups.   (AP Photo/Larry Smith, File)
Activists pray on the first day of Operation Rescue's 77-hour prayer vigil at a clinic operated by Dr. George Tiller, in Wichita, Kan., May 17, 2007.   (AP Photo/Larry W. Smith)
Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, middle, speaks during a press conference outside George Tiller's clinic in Wichita, Kan., Wednesday, April 18, 2007.   (AP Photo/Larry W. Smith)
Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, middle, speaks during a press conference outside George Tiller's clinic in Wichita, Kan., Wednesday, April 18, 2007.   (AP Photo/Larry W. Smith)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 1)

Tags

abortion • abortion rights • pro-life • anti-abortion activists • pro-choice activists


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »