DEACON FOR LIFE

Were there to be no support in the whole history of ethical and moral thought, were there no acknowledged confirmation from medical science, were the history of legal opinion to the contrary, we would still have to conclude on the basis of God's Holy Word that the unborn child is a person in the sight of God. He is protected by the sanctity of life graciously given to each individual by the Creator, Who alone places His image upon man and grants them any right to life which they have.

Monday, November 7, 2011

PRESS RELEASE: AG's Office Orders Shut Down of Michigan Abortion Clinic

Press Release November 7, 2011

Citizens for a Pro-life Society

prolifesociety.com 248-444-9096

Attorney General Takes Action

Against Abortion Clinic Illegal Practices

Press Conference 1:30pm to 3:00pm Today -Monday, Nov. 7

with State Senator Rick Jones and Chris Veneklase, outside Womans Choice abortion clinic

6500 Centurion Dr., Lansing

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Fetal remains tossed in the trash, months of patient records thrown away, improper incorporation and licensing by the Womans Choice abortion clinic prompted an investigation of Eaton County law enforcement authorities and, after a year-long probe, the Michigan Attorney General's Office has taken action against the abortion facility-action which could result in the clinic shutting down operations altogether.

On Monday, November 7, 2011the Corporate Division of the AG's office filed a quo warranto-cease and desist order in Eaton County Court against Womans Choice, 6500 Centurion Drive, Suite 290, Lansing, MI-seeking an injunction against the clinic's operations. The clinic, owned by Richard Remund has, for decades, been operating without proper incorporation in the state of Michigan. The clinic, which advertizes abortions through the 24th week of pregnancy, is required to have a licensed physician as part of its formal incorporation-a requirement that Womans Choice has, for 30 years, failed to fulfill.

The discovery of over 7 months of patient records in the clinic dumpster has also resulted in the Attorney General filing allegations against Womans Choice with the Michigan Bureau of Health Systems. These patient records, dating back to December 2009 through July 2010, are completely intact, unshredded documents that reveal detailed personal and private information of literally hundreds of women who obtained abortions at the facility. (See redacted example below). The dumping of such records is in violation of Michigan state law and administrative regulations governing the practice of medical facilities as well as HIPAA federal law.

Based on evidence gathered by the Eaton County Sheriff's Department in 2010 and the Corporate Division of the AG's office this year, the Womans Choice may also be in violation of what is commonly known as Michigan's "50 percent rule". This rule (Michigan Public Health Code 333. 20115) requires that abortion clinics whose ratio of abortion related customers is 50 percent or more, must conform to health regulations and guidelines under statutes that govern the operation of freestanding surgical outpatient facilities-rules put in place to safeguard patient health and safety. The AG's office will refer this violation to the Michigan Bureau of Health Systems.

The numerous patient records retrieved from the clinic dumpster may demonstrate that the Womans Choice abortion clinic never complied with this rule when it was required by law to do so. If forced to comply-Womans Choice may not meet the safety requirements of the statute and be forced to shut down. The Womans Choice sister clinic in Saginaw, Michigan is also affected by the action of the Attorney General's Office.

The Eaton County Sheriff's Department began to investigate the Womans Choice clinic after pro-lifer Chris Veneklase on February 26, 2010, discovered the remains of 17 aborted babies in the clinic's dumpster. Each fetal body was contained in a plastic medical baggie with the mothers' names on the bags as well as the date of their abortion. The aborted babies were buried Nov. 19, 2010 by Bishop Earl Boyea in St. Joseph Cemetery, Lansing, MI. See video link: http://www.imagesofabortion.com/exposed/pages/videos/burialWomansChoice.aspx

Citizens for a Pro-Life Society helped with dozens of subsequent dumpster searches which turned up medical waste and patient records. No other bodies of aborted babies were discovered.

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The bags containing the 17 aborted babies pulled from the Womans Choice dumpster

CPLS took extensive video of its dumpster findings, photos of the fetal remains as well as catching on tape Womans Choice staff throwing clinic trash into the dumpster. See video "Womans Choice Clinic Scandal": http://www.imagesofabortion.com/exposed/pages/videos/womanschoice.aspx

Womans Choice could not be charged with illegally dumping the bodies of the aborted babies since any bio-hazard was rendered inert by formalin solution, in conformity with Michigan law at that time. In other words, although scandalous to many Michigan residents, it was not illegal for the clinic to dump the remains of aborted babies into the trash. Since the discovery of the bodies, a new bill has been introduced into the Michigan state legislature by State Senator Rick Jones, Senate Bills 25 and 54. These bills would make it a criminal misdemeanor to throw the remains of aborted babies into the trash and requires that such remains be either humanely buried or cremated.

Monica Migliorino Miller, director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society states: "This has been a long-and I'll add-very sad journey for us that began 21 months ago when pro-lifer Chris Veneklase found 17 aborted babies in the trash. CPLS and Right to Life of Michigan have worked very hard with the Eaton County Sheriff, the Eaton County prosecutor and the Attorney General to finally come to this point-where, at last, action will be taken against the medically unethical practices of the Womans Choice abortion clinic. Ultimately we want to see abortion itself brought to an end. No baby ever deserves to be pulled apart and then have his body thrown in the trash. I have seen things the human eye is not supposed to look at-the torn, fragmented bodies of people who have suffered horrible violence. But in addition to the injustice of abortion perpetrated by this clinic, substantial evidence exists that Womans Choice violated the safety and privacy of the women. In bringing action against the Womans Choice abortion clinic, the attorney general is just doing his job, doing what is best for the people of Michigan, and we hope these actions taken today will result in penalties for this clinic-perhaps even shutting down this place of death forever."

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