[Vision2020] Asscroft strikes again.
Joan Opyr
auntiestablishment@hotmail.com
Sat, 20 Mar 2004 10:29:52 -0800
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Dear Visionaries:
Whether you're pro-choice or anti-choice, here's a little something to th=
ink about: John Ashcroft pawing through your medical records. And no, th=
at wasn't a typo in the subject line.
Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment
>From www.salon.com:
Judge orders abortion records turned over in New York
March 20, 2004 | NEW YORK -- A New York hospital has been ordered to tu=
rn over abortion records to the Justice Department, which is seeking them=
for its legal battle over the Partial-Birth Abortion Act. =20
Manhattan federal Judge Richard Casey ruled Thursday that New York-Presby=
terian Hospital must comply with the Justice Department's request. =20
Judges in other jurisdictions, including Chicago and San Francisco, have =
refused in recent weeks to order abortion records released from hospitals=
there. The government has since dropped its effort to subpoena records f=
rom Planned Parenthood. =20
But a federal judge last week ordered the University of Michigan Health S=
ystem to turn over its records for possible inclusion in the case. =20
Legal observers say that because of the divergent rulings, the U.S. Supre=
me Court may ultimately have to rule on the issue. =20
Casey said the records are not covered by federal privacy laws because in=
formation identifying the women who received the abortions could be delet=
ed. New York-Presbyterian Hospital said it was considering an appeal. =20
The government has sought the records as it prepares to defend the Partia=
l-Birth Abortion Act, signed into law last year by President Bush, agains=
t a lawsuit filed by the National Abortion Federation and seven doctors t=
o block its enforcement. =20
The plaintiffs have argued that the law must be struck down for failing t=
o permit certain late-term abortions to protect women's health. The Justi=
ce Department says it needs to review medical records to examine whether =
the abortions are ever medically needed. =20
Simultaneous trials on the issue are set to begin March 29 in New York, O=
maha, Neb., and San Francisco. =20
The law, passed last year, forbids a procedure generally performed in the=
second or third trimester in which a fetus is partially delivered before=
being killed, usually by puncturing its skull. Anti-abortion activists c=
all the procedure "partial-birth abortion." =20
An estimated 2,200 to 5,000 such abortions are performed annually in the =
United States, out of 1.3 million total abortions. Get more from the Web.=
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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV> <DIV>Dear Vis=
ionaries:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Whether you're pro-choice or anti-=
choice, here's a little something to think about: John Ashcroft pawing th=
rough your medical records. And no, that wasn't a typo in the subje=
ct line.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Joan Opyr/Auntie Establishment</DIV=
> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>From <A href=3D"http://www.salon.com">www.s=
alon.com</A>:</DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D5>Judge ord=
ers abortion records turned over in New York<BR></FONT><FONT face=3D"Verd=
ana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=
=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2>March 20, 2004 =
| </FONT> <FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D=
1>NEW YORK -- </FONT><!-- end default pre content --><FONT face=3D"times=
new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>A New York hospital has been ordered t=
o turn over abortion records to the Justice Department, which is seeking =
them for its legal battle over the Partial-Birth Abortion Act. </FONT></D=
IV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT>&nb=
sp;</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Manh=
attan federal Judge Richard Casey ruled Thursday that New York-Presbyteri=
an Hospital must comply with the Justice Department's request. </FONT></D=
IV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT>&nb=
sp;</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Judg=
es in other jurisdictions, including Chicago and San Francisco, have refu=
sed in recent weeks to order abortion records released from hospitals the=
re. The government has since dropped its effort to subpoena records from =
Planned Parenthood. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, tim=
es, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roma=
n, times, serif" size=3D3>But a federal judge last week ordered the Unive=
rsity of Michigan Health System to turn over its records for possible inc=
lusion in the case. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, tim=
es, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roma=
n, times, serif" size=3D3>Legal observers say that because of the diverge=
nt rulings, the U.S. Supreme Court may ultimately have to rule on the iss=
ue. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D=
3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" s=
ize=3D3>Casey said the records are not covered by federal privacy laws be=
cause information identifying the women who received the abortions could =
be deleted. New York-Presbyterian Hospital said it was considering an app=
eal. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=
=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif=
" size=3D3>The government has sought the records as it prepares to defend=
the Partial-Birth Abortion Act, signed into law last year by President B=
ush, against a lawsuit filed by the National Abortion Federation and seve=
n doctors to block its enforcement. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"time=
s new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D=
"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>The plaintiffs have argued that =
the law must be struck down for failing to permit certain late-term abort=
ions to protect women's health. The Justice Department says it needs to r=
eview medical records to examine whether the abortions are ever medically=
needed. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" =
size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, s=
erif" size=3D3>Simultaneous trials on the issue are set to begin March 29=
in New York, Omaha, Neb., and San Francisco. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT fa=
ce=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><F=
ONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>The law, passed last =
year, forbids a procedure generally performed in the second or third trim=
ester in which a fetus is partially delivered before being killed, usuall=
y by puncturing its skull. Anti-abortion activists call the procedure "pa=
rtial-birth abortion." </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new roman, =
times, serif" size=3D3></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3D"times new r=
oman, times, serif" size=3D3>An estimated 2,200 to 5,000 such abortions a=
re performed annually in the United States, out of 1.3 million total abor=
tions. </FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML><br clear=3Dall><hr>Get more from the W=
eb. FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href=3D'http://explorer.msn.com'>htt=
p://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>
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