Operation Rescue is exploring legal options in ensure Tiller answers to charges

Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-841-1700; Cheryl Sullenger, Outreach & Media Coordinator, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue

CLARIFICATION: Information in the report below was based on public information garnered from public sources, including a Wichita Eagle story by Deb Gruver that appeared on Sunday, December 31, 2006.  Nothing in the report below was obtained by any communication with the Attorney General's office or with his Special Prosecutor. Operation Rescue has no first hand knowledge of any legal action that may or may not be taken by the Attorney General or his Special Prosecutor. -OR Staff

WICHITA, Kansas, Jan. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- Attorney General Phill Kline has only three court days left to get the criminal case against late-term abortionist George R. Tiller reinstated. To do so, he and his Special Prosecutor, Don McKinney, must overcome a concerted effort by pro-abortion politicians -- all with ties to Tiller -- that has thus far prevented the case from moving forward even though two judges have ruled that there is "probable cause" to believe Tiller violated the law.

McKinney is expected to file additional motions in the case today.

"From the witness list and list of supporting documents, we are convinced that Kline has a convincing case against Tiller," said Operation Rescue Troy Newman. "It is important to understand that Tiller's charges were dismissed on shaky jurisdictional grounds. Every judge who has seen the evidence has ruled that the charges are justified and that the case should be heard."

Included in the witness information are the names of Dr. Ann Kristen Neuhaus and Dr. Paul McHugh, along with their affidavits and sworn statements in support of the Tiller charges.

Dr. Neuhaus is a former abortionist and Tiller associate who saw Tiller's post-viability abortion patients at his Wichita clinic weekly in order to provide the second signature required by Kansas law before babies 22 weeks gestation or older can be aborted. Neuhaus has turned state's evidence against Tiller – evidence that Tiller and his supporters are going to great lengths to suppress.

"Neuhaus has decided, for whatever reasons, to roll over on Tiller. She will be a very credible witness because she is a physician, she has experience with abortions, and she has worked inside Tiller's clinic, supposedly personally interviewing every one of Tiller's abortion patients who are 22 weeks or more pregnant," said Newman. "Neuhaus has first hand knowledge about what goes on inside that clinic. Her testimony could be the evidence needed to finally bring Tiller to justice."

Dr. Mc Hugh is the highly respected Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Psychiatrist-in-chief of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Operation Rescue believes that McHugh was expected to have testified that neither Tiller nor Neuhaus were qualified to make diagnoses of psychiatric conditions such as those listed in the abortion records, which include "depression" and "anxiety disorder."

Mental health risks must be "substantial and irreversible" in order to qualify as exemptions to the Kansas ban on post-viability abortions. McHugh's testimony would likely have indicated that conditions listed by Tiller and Neuhaus are not irreversible psychiatric conditions.

"These charges are very serious, and to have them dismissed due to political monkey-business is a travesty of justice," said Newman. "If the charges prove to be true, which we believe they will if they can ever get to court, then viable babies who should have the protection of law are being illegally killed by Tiller and his associates. This is a matter of life and death. Operation Rescue is exploring a number of legal options to make sure that Tiller answers to these charges."

Operation Rescue is hosting a four-day protest called "A Cry For Justice" in Wichita, January 19-22, to call for the prosecution of Tiller. The protest was sparked by comments made by Fox News host Bill O'Reilly who has stated that because what Tiller is doing is so bad, "There should be thousands of people demonstrating outside Tiller's abortion clinic in Wichita."

Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.