Contact: Troy Newman, President, 316-841-1700; Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor, 316-516-3034; both with Operation Rescue, info@operationrescue.org

WICHITA, Kansas, July 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- In an effort to dodge prosecution on 19 criminal charges filed against him last week, late-term abortionist George R. Tiller has filed a suit challenging the constitutionality of the part of the law he is charged with.

"This legal maneuver is a baseless waste of time. The language in the law was upheld in the U.S. Supreme Court in the Casey decision. This is nothing more than a stall tactic to delay the criminal case against him. In the meantime, it is business as usual down at the abortion clinic where babies that should have the protection of law will continue to be killed. I can't think of a greater injustice," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.

Attorney General Paul Morrison charged Tiller with using a second physician who was not "financially or legally" independent from him to provide the second signature required by law before late-term abortions can be done. Morrison refused to charge Tiller on the more serious charges brought last December by former Attorney General Phill Kline of committing illegal abortions for trivial reasons.

"By charging Tiller on the weaker part of the law, Morrison opened the door for this challenge. In fact, Morrison admitted to the Associated Press earlier today that such a challenge by Tiller was expected," said Newman. "This looks like it has all been prearranged so that Morrison can look like he is upholding the law, when in fact he is doing everything he can to allow Tiller to avoid being brought to justice. Morrison has richly earned the nickname 'Tiller's lapdog.'"

"There is absolutely no confidence left that the system will ever work the way it is supposed to," said Newman. "There is enough evidence in the public domain now to get a conviction against Tiller for illegally killing viable late-term babies whose very blood cries out for justice. The fact that Tiller's lawyers are using every shady legal trick in the book to keep him out of court shows that they are concerned that he would not prevail in a trial before a jury of his peers. There needs to be a public outcry against this injustice like there has never been seen before!"

About Operation Rescue

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.