Archive for Dr. George Tiller
FMF Hails Roeder Jury Verdict, Calls on Justice Department to Act
Dr. George Tiller
In reaction to the unanimous jury verdict convicting Scott Roeder on one count of first-degree murder in the death of Dr. George Tiller and two counts of aggravated assault, Feminist Majority Foundation President Eleanor Smeal and Executive Vice President Katherine Spillar released the following statements:
Smeal said, “Defense efforts to establish that Roeder’s actions were justifiable failed miserably. The jury saw Roeder’s actions for what they were: cold-blooded murder.”
Spillar stated, “Roeder’s own words on the stand revealed that his ‘sidewalk counseling’ outside the clinic was a cover for his surveillance of Dr. Tiller’s ‘comings and goings’ and an opportunity to determine Tiller’s and the clinic’s vulnerabilities.” She continued, “Roeder’s testimony, during questioning by District Attorney Nola Foulston, opened the door wide for the Department of Justice to establish that there was a broader conspiracy to murder Dr. Tiller and other abortion providers. Now it is time for the federal Department of Justice to act.”
The Feminist Majority Foundation runs the National Clinic Access Project, which is the oldest and largest national clinic defense project in the nation. Executive Vice President Spillar attended the trial of Scott Roeder in Wichita, Kansas, and leads the project.
Feminist Majority Alarmed at Rulings in Dr. Tiller Murder Trial
“Let there be no mistake, the rulings of Kansas Judge Warren Wilbert are being seen by extremists as a green light for those who would murder abortion providers,” said Katherine Spillar, Executive Vice President of the Feminist Majority Foundation.
Don Spitz, who manages the Army of God website and advocates the murder of abortion providers as “justifiable homicide,” has been in touch with confessed killer Scott Roeder. According to the Associated Press, Spitz believes the decision may influence some people to kill abortion providers because of the possibility of a lower sentence for voluntary manslaughter. Spitz told the AP that the decision “may increase the number of people who may be willing to take that risk.”
Despite his statements to the contrary, by refusing today to set reasonable parameters on testimony and evidence, Judge Wilbert is effectively permitting Roeder to use a “justifiable homicide” defense that the judge had previously said Roeder could not use.
“The judge can instruct a jury to disregard inflammatory or prejudicial statements after they’ve been made, but the reality is that you can’t un-ring a bell,” concluded Spillar.
Katherine Spillar is the Executive Vice President of the Feminist Majority Foundation and leads its National Clinic Access Project, which is the oldest and largest national clinic defense project in the nation.
Anti-Abortion Protestors Stymie Police With Lawsuits
By Carole Joffe, Ms. Washington Correspondent
First in a series on escalating abortion clinic violence in the aftermath of Dr. George Tiller’s murder
“In the old days, at least we knew what they were up to. If they were blockading us or firebombing us, we knew it. This is more insidious, more like a stealth strategy. And it is making life a living hell for the providers.” Read the rest of this entry »
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