Kansas AG Kline Receives Late-Term Abortion Records

Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline (R) -- who is running for re-election in November against Johnson County, Kan., District Attorney Paul Morrison (D) -- on Tuesday said his office received the records of 90 women and girls who in 2003 underwent late-term abortions at two clinics and will begin reviewing them for evidence of possible crimes, the AP/Kansas City Star reports (Hanna, AP/Kansas City Star, 11/1). Kline in 2004 subpoenaed the records of the women and girls who received late-term abortions at Comprehensive Health, which is operated by Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri in Overland Park, Kan., and Women's Health Care Services in Wichita, Kan., saying there is probable cause that each record contains evidence of a felony. The original subpoena asked that the records include each patient's name, medical history, birth control practices, psychological profile and sexual history and asked for the records of all women and girls who sought abortions at or after 22 weeks' gestation. The clinics in March 2005 filed a brief with the state Supreme Court requesting that the court block Kline's subpoena, and the court in February ruled that Kline can seek access to the records but that he must return to Shawnee County, Kan., District Court and present his reasons for seeking the subpoenas (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 10/4). The records -- which were turned over Oct. 24 by Shawnee County District Court Judge Richard Anderson and do not include information that would identify individuals -- are being reviewed "by criminal investigators and criminal prosecutors," Kline said. According to Kline, the targets of the investigations are sex offenders, rapists and physicians who performed, or provided a second opinion for, a late-term abortion or who failed to report child abuse. Pedro Irigonegaray, an attorney representing one of the clinics, said, "Nothing whatsoever in those records supports the proposition that our clients have violated the law." He added, "What [Kline] now has in his hands are facts regarding procedures, not identifications of individuals receiving those procedures. Those facts do not justify Mr. Kline's involvement in any further criminal action -- none whatsoever" (AP/Kansas City Star, 11/1).

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