Birmingham
Rape (9 incidents) and Forced Abortion (9 incidents)
Sixteen-year-old Alana Williams was sentenced to Alabama's only juvenile detention facility for girls in Chalkville. She said that she had sex with a guard because it was an easy way for girls to get preferential treatment and goodies like Cokes, in addition to breaking the monotony.
A lawsuit filed by Williams and eight other girls claims that the girls were raped, beaten and pressured to have abortions after being impregnated by guards. Male guards watched girls take showers and conducted strip-searches, the lawsuit contends.
Attorneys who filed the lawsuit say adult women held at Chalkville as teen-agers have contacted them alleging the same types of treatment as long as two decades ago.
"It's terrible. It's hard for me to fathom," said state Rep. Mac Gipson, a Republican who serves on the Youth Services board. Gov. Don Siegelman has asked state Attorney General Bill Pryor to investigate, and local authorities may pursue criminal charges. Judges have removed at least 15 girls from the facility.
Youth Services spokesman Allen Peaton said at least three dozen girls made allegations ranging from inappropriate comments by guards to oral sex between girls and employees.
Reference: Jay Reeves, Associated Press. "Sex Scandal at State Girls Prison Results in Firings, Lawsuit." APBnews.com. June 18, 2001.
Fatal Botched Abortion and Gross Malpractice (4 incidents)
On March 20, 2003, abortionist Malachy Dehenre, working at the New Woman Medical Center abortion mill in Jackson, Mississippi, botched an abortion so badly that his patient began to bleed uncontrollably and had to be transferred to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where she had to have a total hysterectomy.
On November 25, 2003, the abortionist, now working at the Summit Medical Center abortion mill in Birmingham, Alabama, discharged Leigh Ann Stephens Alford only 20 minutes after he had aborted her. Six hours later, her husband contacted the abortuary and reported that his wife had abdominal pain and a low temperature. She was rushed by ambulance to a Birmingham hospital, where she died of an unrecognized uterine perforation suffered during the abortion.
In August 2004, the Alabama State Board of Medical Examiners concluded that Dehenre, 53, practiced medicine in a way as to "endanger the health of patients," and that he committed "repeated malpractice." It also said that his actions in several cases were "immoral, unprofessional or dishonorable." The Board revoked his license to practice medicine.
In two of the four cases cited by the Board, Dehenre instructed paramedics to wait at the rear entrance of his abortion mill for the women he had butchered.
As always, when punished for their deadly and careless actions, pro-abortionists (and especially the rich abortionists) whine that they are victims, and that pro-lifers are the ones to blame. In an interview with the Associated Press after the board's decision, Dehenre said that "I don't know what is immoral in doing what is legal in the country." He said that abortion has become "politically charged," and blamed pro-lifers for wanting to overturn Roe v. Wade. Dehenre said that he had committed more than 35,000 abortions since the late 1990s.
Dehenre could be back performing abortions in a year if he pays a $20,000 fine and undergoes 52 hours of continuing medical education in areas of recognizing and managing postoperative complications and recognizing breaches in medical ethics.
References: Andy Kanengiser."Abortion Death Cited in Action Against Doctor." The Clarion-Ledger [Jackson, Mississippi], August 14, 2004; Andy Kanengiser."Miss. Suspends Abortion Doc Eyed in Ala. Death." The Clarion-Ledger [Jackson, Mississippi], August 20, 2004; "Mississippi Abortionist's Medical License Suspended for Malpractice: Charged with Wrongful Death of Abortion Victim in Alabama." LifeSite Daily News, August 20, 2004; John Fuquay. "Ala. Suspends Indefinitely Miss. Abortion Doctor." The Clarion-Ledger, December 18, 2004; Steven Ertelt. "Abortion Practitioner Loses Medical License, Won't Perform Abortions Again." LifeNews.com, December 20, 2004.
Assault (4 incidents), Contempt of Court, Death Threat and Tax Evasion
According to a former employee of his abortion mill, "New Woman Health Care," abortionist Bruce Lucero asked for a baseball bat, then got a tire iron and went outside his New Woman Health Care abortion clinic and assaulted a pro-lifer, hitting him in the back and arm. While on trial for the assault, he was escorted to the judge's chambers by two police officers and convicted of contempt for continuing to talk during the trial after the judge instructed him to be silent. He was given a suspended sentence and was fined. A security specialist testified that Lucero told security guards that he wanted the pro-lifers "hurt," and that just prior to his testifying, the security specialist received a phone call threatening his family. On another occasion, Lucero slammed a man into a post while the man was talking to a patient about to enter the building; the man was treated by paramedics at the scene.
On another occasion, a security guard for the abortion mill threw a man to the ground and repeatedly beat his head on the pavement, bloodying his face, after the man tried to write down the license number of another security guard's car. When a woman pro-lifer asked the guard to desist in the assault, he grabbed her by the ankle and jerked her off her feet, then held her down and attempted to beat her face on the pavement, kneeling on her back and holding her down. The assaulted man was treated by paramedics and at University Hospital.
The abortionist was also assessed for unpaid federal taxes of $11,725.25 on May 12, 1990, and was sued by the Colorado Student Obligation Bond Authority for an unpaid debt of $7,846.42.
Lucero also hosted a local radio talk show. He told a caller his solution to the abortion debate: "What we're going to do is set two little boxes in our income-tax statement. If you believe in pro-choice, you pay only $300 in taxes so that you pay for a woman to have an abortion. And if you're opposed to abortion, you check the other little box and you pay $3,000 to raise an illegitimate child."
References: Birmingham News, March 21, 1993, June 9 and July 3, 1991, March 21, 1993, and February 22, 1994; Post-Herald, November 14, 1990; Jefferson County Circuit Court Case Nos. CV909466 and VC9304474; "Abortionists: What Kind of People Are They?" Abortion Injury Report [American Rights Coalition], August 1991, page 2.
Assault (2 incidents)
The following incident of pro-abortion violence was provided in a September 1, 2002 e-mail message from Julian Harper.
"A number of years ago, in the late 1980s, an abortionist named Bruce Lucero had a mill on the south side of Birmingham, Alabama, and for years, every Saturday a handful of peaceful prayer-warriors, sidewalk counselors and pickets would show up at his "New Woman's" clinic, and also at the nearby Birmingham Women's Clinic and the Summit Women's Center. On one Saturday morning, I was on my way to picket the Birmingham Women's Clinic and stopped by at Lucero's mill to greet about four of my friends who were there on the sidewalks. There were three people in 'security guard' uniforms wandering in front of the abortion mill; a black man who was very polite, a 260 pound white thug named Jeff Ingram, and a woman who — I believe — was Ingram's wife. They were employees of a rent-a-thug place called TASP Security Forces. Since the man and woman had been physically aggressive to our sidewalk counselors and refused to identify themselves or their employer, I simply walked out into the public parking lot (the mill was located in a 'strip mall' of businesses, so there were no restrictions on entering the parking lot) to get the license tag numbers off their vehicles. I had intended to get a friend who worked for the police department to find who the owners were in order to contact their supervisor and protest their physical aggression. As I turned to go back onto the sidewalk, the large thug, Ingram, grabbed me from behind, threw his body weight down on me and began repeatedly slamming my face and head into the pavement (I should add that I am about 5'6" and weighed at that time, all of 140 pounds). I was unconscious fr a few moments, woke up to see my broken glasses laying near me, a large pool of blood which I did not even know was my own, at that point, and felt the guy still on my back. At this point, another counselor named Kathy — who was a frail lady of about 80 pounds — came out to ask him to get off of me. He grabbed her arm and threw her to the ground also, at which point the female thug came out to 'guard' Kathy. Within minutes of the attack, the police arrived, the abortionist was standing in his doorway screaming that he wanted us arrested (to which the senior police officer, Jake Bailey, responded that if Lucero didn't shut up and get back inside, that he — officer Bailey — would personally arrest Lucero!) and a moment alter a paramedic fire and rescue vehicle arrived. They were unable to stop the bleeding from my head and I had to go to University hospital to get seven stitches over the left eye; my jaw had also been dislocated and I suffered some damage to the back which has continued to cause various problems over the years.
"I did swear out an arrest warrant for Ingram, and the court did find him guilty of assault. They fined him — if memory serves — a total of 100 dollars for his attacks on myself and Kathy. So — if you ever want to ambush someone and beat them badly enough to require medical assistance here in Alabama, it will only cost you about fifty bucks per head! That's justice in these parts!"
References: Birmingham News, June 9, 1991; "Picketer Denied Access, Beaten By Guard." Abortion Injury Report [American Rights Coalition], August 1991, page 2.
Assault and Malpractice (37 incidents)
Abortionist Tommy E. Swate ran several methadone clinics that were forcibly closed due to allegations of violation of state and federal methadone laws. These included failure to properly document addiction before administering methadone, failure to restrict patients who test positive for illicit drugs or negative for methadone, inadequate oversight of patient's doses, allowing patients to pick up doses for other patients, and allowing undercover agent to obtain methadone. He also abandoned methadone patient files in his house. At least three of his clients died of apparent methadone-related deaths.
He also assaulted a female investigator posing as a patient in order to serve a subpoena, and allegedly evaded previous subpoenas by outrunning the servers.
He was banned from practicing at Humana Hospital after two doctors implicated him in injuring at least 23 abortion patients, and he allegedly threatened to assault one doctor who implicated him. Swate sued to try to regain his privileges with an injunction, but was denied. His license was suspended and he was placed on probation for five years in 1992 due to professional failure to practice medicine in an acceptable manner and repeated meritorious health-care liability claims, including pleading no contest to allegations of 14 botched abortions. His Texas and Louisiana licenses were put on probation.
References: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, September 9, 1994; Hardin County News, October 7, 1992; Houston Post, March 10, 1991; Houston Chronicle, May 9, 1986, June 6, 1986, July 1, 1986, May 15, 1991 and November 13, 1992; Houston Post, June 6, 1986 and July 25, 1986; Pasadena Citizen, May 9, 1986 and August 14, 1987; United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Case #83-2502; Harris County District Court Case #86-20421; Travis County Delinquent Tax Statement, tax year 1978, and Statement of Employer Account dated August 24, 1992; Texas Notice of Forfeiture of Corporate Privileges dated August 14, 1992.
Grossly Botched Abortion, Practicing Medicine Without a License (2 incidents), and Falsification of Medical Records
Like many other high-volume abortion mills in the United States, the Summit Medical Center in Birmingham, Alabama, is first and foremost a moneymaking machine. Nothing else matters — not the health of women, not the safety of women, and certainly not the law. These places routinely and consistently ignore the law in order to pile up more and more profits.
In February 2006, a non-physician administered a sonogram to an abortion client at the abortuary in violation of Alabama state law. The clinic worker told the abortion client that she was only six weeks pregnant when, in reality, she was just a few weeks away from delivery. Then another non-physician, also in defiance of Alabama state law, gave her the RU-486 abortion pill, which is only supposed to be used to kill babies up to eight weeks gestation. The clinic workers then falsified the documents relating to this abortion client, showing that she was treated by a physician who was, in fact, not present that day.
Six days later, the abortion client was rushed to a hospital emergency room, and delivered a dead 6 lb. 4 oz. baby. The Alabama State Health Department then launched an investigation of the abortion mill.
Finally, after 24 years of killing tens of thousands of preborn children, the Alabama State Health Department shut down the Summit Medical Center abortion mill for good at about 11:00 AM on May 17, 2006. The order from the State Board of Health called the violations by Summit Medical Center "egregious," and the state health officer, Dr. Donald Williamson, said the clinic might not reopen. He said "We feel we need to move toward revoking their license." The investigation found "egregious lapses in care, including non-physicians performing abortions, severely underestimating the gestational age of a fetus, failure to appropriately refer or treat a patient with a dangerously elevated blood pressure, and performing an abortion on a late-term pregnancy."
The day the abortion mill was finally closed, its security guard for the abortuary told a long-time sidewalk counselor "This will be very good news for you. The Health Department is closing this place down."
The results of the investigation by the Alabama State Health Department were both very revealing and fascinating, because it showed the day-to-day operations of a classic legal abortion mill, whose only purpose is to make a ton of money.
The Health Department suspended the medical license of abortionist Deborah Lyn Levich, charging her with aborting late-term babies without bothering to check for viability in violation of Alabama law, and falsifying medical records. The Health Department also suspended the nursing license of abortion nurse Janet F. Onthank King for performing medical abortions without a doctor having examined the patients or even being present.
References: "Why Abortion Mills are Closing!" Christian Newswire, May 19, 2006; "Alabama Suspends Abortionist's License; AG Launches Investigation." Christian Newswire, May 20, 2006; Jay Reeves, Associated Press. "Abortion Clinic Closed." Montgomery Advertiser, May 30, 2006.
Fatal Botched Abortion, Botched Abortions (5 incidents) and Unprofessional Conduct (32 incidents)
Abortionist Thomas Walter Tucker II's botched abortion killed Angela Hall during a June 7, 1991 abortion at the Birmingham Women's Clinic abortion mill. One clinic employee testified that she determined Angela was "not a proper candidate for an elective termination in the office," and another employee testified that Tucker required her to assist in falsifying Angela's records.
Tucker was warned by his staff not to proceed with the abortion because the patient's hemoglobin levels were too low. Tucker responded "You know we need the money. Just do it. Just put the patient through." When an abortion mill staff person saw the patient's condition worsen, she called for an ambulance. Court records indictate Tucker canceled the ambulance stating "he could not afford to send another patient to UAB (hospital) because those doctors down there would hang him."
Finally, in 2001, an Alabama court rendered a ten million dollar judgment against Tucker in Hall's death. The court in its statements found it, "difficult to imagine a case more appropriate for an award of punitive or exemplary damages."
Medical authorities in the states of Alabama and Mississippi revoked Tucker's license when another patient died after he removed Norplant abortifacient capsules from her arm. The Mississippi state medical board found him guilty of 32 of 34 counts of unprofessional conduct.
The abortionist scheduled up to 45 abortions a day. His license was restricted due to accusations of "gross malpractice or repeated malpractice or gross negligence in the practice of medicine." He told a reporter that his goal was $700,000 annual income, and spent thousands of dollars lobbying against abortion legislation. He was disciplined and placed under voluntary restriction when he was charged with underestimating fetal age in was women and perforating another woman's uterus.
He also faced charges of unprofessional and unethical conduct in Alabama and Mississippi and criminal investigations in both states, prompted by the deaths of several patients. Allegations included allowing staff to perform abortions with no doctor present while he instructed them over the telephone; allowing unqualified staff to administer anesthesia and insert birth control devices; crushing a live infant's skull with forceps after it survived a late-term abortion; and overestimating fetal age to charge more for abortions.
The Medical Licensure Commission stated that Tucker "showed reckless indifference" in the death of a patient during the removal of Norplant at Birmingham Women's Medical Center. The medical board found him guilty of 32 of 34 counts against him, including falsifying records, violating counseling laws, instructing unqualified personnel to perform doctor's duties, and he still faces potential criminal charges on deaths of patients.
Amazingly, his attorney said that the suspension of Tucker's license was "a sad day for women's reproductive freedom in this state, in this region." The Director of Pro-Choice Mississippi was quoted as saying, "If Dr. Tucker loses his license, Mississippi women will lose their access to choice, so yes, it will be devastating."
References: Tim Graham and Clay Waters. "Roe Warriors: The Media's Pro-Abortion Bias." Media Research Council report, July 22, 1998; Atlanta Journal-Constitution, May 16, 1993; Birmingham News, March 17, 1995; DeSoto Times, March 23, 1995; Hattiesburg American, April 30, 1994; Jackson Clarion-Ledger, March 18, 1994 and April 1, 1995; Memphis Commercial Appeal, April 16, 1994; Mobile Register, March 17, 1995; New York Times, April 23, 1994; and Jefferson County Circuit Court Cases #CV-87-3302, #CV-88-7175, #CV-89-9373, #CV-90-0616, #CV-91-3260, CV-92-06645 and #CV-93-632. Tucker was the subject of feature articles in USA Today (July 17, 1994), The New York Times (April 24, 1994) and Time Magazine (August 9, 1993).
Florence
Identity Theft (two counts) and Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card (three counts)
James Rea Phyfer, 41, the Florence Conference Center's banquet manager, was arrested on January 6, 2003, after being accused of using credit card numbers of past customers to pay personal cable and telephone bills, and to pay for a 2002 abortion in Tuscaloosa.
Phyfer was charged with two counts of identity theft and three counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, and was held in the Florence-Lauderdale Detention Center with bail set at $5,000.
Police say the numbers were kept on file at the conference center and it appears Phyfer got the numbers and used them to pay his bills.
Reference: Mike Goens. "Banquet Manager Charged with Theft." Florence [Alabama] Times Daily, January 7, 2003.
Huntsville
Murder
In 1993, pro-abortion activist Eileen Orstein Janezic murdered 51-year old pro-life activist minister and radio talk show host Jerry Simon. After killing Simon, she held police at bay with a pistol for six hours while spouting quotes from Anton LaVey's "Satanic Bible." On October 27, 1994, a jury found her guilty of murder and sentenced her to life in prison. During trial, she admitted that she had shot Simon to prove her love of Satan.
References: World Magazine, September 18, 1993; "Pro-Life Leader, Pastor Murdered by Avowed Satanist." Life Advocate, November 1993, page 7.
Illegal Abortions (5 incidents)
The Alabama Department of Public Health ordered abortionist Carl L. Palmer to stop performing abortions at his office, ruling that he didn't have a license to operate an abortion facility. The State Health Officer, Dr. Donald Williamson, said that Palmer violated state Board of Health rules when he advertised his Alabama Women's Center for Reproductive Alternatives in area telephone books.
People in Alabama can legally perform abortions at their medical office, but if a someone advertises as an abortion facility, he or she must be licensed by the state health department. Palmer did not have the $200 license when he placed an ad in the Yellow Pages promising "Low Cost Early Pregnancy Abortions," officials said.
The Rev. James Henderson, a pro-life advocate from Morgan County, said he's been monitoring Palmer's abortion facility since he spotted the Yellow Pages ad. "We are pleased the Alabama Department of Health has shut down an illegal abortion clinic," Henderson said. "We believe that all abortion clinics in the state need to be shut down, starting with the illegal ones."
In 1995, Palmer resigned as medical director of the Women's Community Health Center in Huntsville after health officials ruled he had been performing abortions without proper state certification.
References: Huntsville Times [Alabama], April 29, 2000; "Alabama Man Can No Longer Perform Abortions." Steven Ertelt's Pro-Life Infonet at http://www.prolifeinfo.org/infonet.html, May 3, 2000.
Mobile
Fatal Botched Abortion
On November 18, 1986, Karl and Doris Madden were preparing to leave their home to spend Thanksgiving with relatives. They received a call from their daughter Michelle's college roommate, saying that she was feeling sick. When they arrived at the dormitory, they were told that their daughter had been taken to a local hospital. When they arrived there, doctors told them that Michelle was in surgery. When the surgery was completed, a doctor told the parents that Michelle had had an abortion and was in very grave condition. She died soon after of complications incurred by an abortion performed by O.B. Evans.
The Maddens sued, and won a $10 million judgment from abortionist Evans and the Family Planning Medical Center abortion mill of Mobile. Alabama, thus ending a four-year long court battle.
References: Renee Busby. "Parents Finally Get to Tell Daughter's Story: Couple Wins Lawsuit While Getting Answers to Teen's Abortion, Death." Mobile Press Register, June 16, 1991, page B1; "$10 Million in Abortion Death." The Abortion Injury Report [American Rights Coalition], May 1993, page 2.
Reckless Endangerment
The director of The Ladies Center abortion mill, Patricia Mitchell, pointed a handgun at two pro-lifers as they drove away from the clinic after a picket. She was subsequently convicted of reckless endangerment.
Reference: "Mobile Abortion Clinic Director Convicted of Gun-Related Charge; Attorney Appeals Case." Gulf Coast Christian Newspaper.
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