Tuesday, December 22, 2009
NAF Communications Department
202-667-5881
press@prochoice.org
Statement of Vicki Saporta, President and CEO of the National Abortion Federation (NAF) in response to the pre-trial hearing for Scott Roeder:
Today Judge Warren Wilbert denied the requests of Scott Roeder’s defense team to move the trial venue out of Sedgwick County, Kansas, as well as to introduce the so-called "necessity defense" as justification for the cold-blooded murder of Dr. George Tiller.
Although an extreme wing of the anti-abortion movement believes that it is justifiable to use deadly force to stop abortion, their attempts to use such a defense in court have been repeatedly rejected. Attempts by convicted murderers Paul Hill and James Kopp were both found to not meet the legal standards of justifiable homicide laws and were not permitted during their trials.
There is no justification for murdering doctors who provide abortion care. Scott Roeder has confessed to the murder, and he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The National Abortion Federation (NAF) is the professional association of abortion providers in the United States and Canada. Our mission is to ensure safe, legal, and accessible abortion care to promote health and justice for women. Our members include health care professionals at clinics, doctors' offices, and hospitals, who together care for more than half the women in both countries who choose abortion each year. For more information, visit our website at www.prochoice.org.
|
