Detroit, MI — A Michigan judge ruled yesterday that Alberto Hodari’s Lathrup Village abortion clinic can stay open for two more weeks until another hearing can be held on whether the clinic is too dangerous to operate.

Michigan requires clinics to be licensed when 50% or more of their business is abortion. Hodari’s clinic was licensed until he was dinged with a number of health code violations in 2009, including the lack of an emergency entrance that would accommodate a gurney. Hodari refused to add the emergency entrance due to the expense involved.

Instead, Hodari decided not to seek licensure the following year and unsuccessfully attempted to increase his non-abortion business to avoid the licensing requirement.

Four women are known to have died at Hodari-run abortion mills. Fifteen year old Tamia Russell died less than 24 hours after a late-term abortion at Hodari’s Lathrup Villiage in 2004, the same clinic that is subject to closure. In 2007, a 17-year old Hodari patient died from abortion complications. Chivon Williams died less than six hours after having been released from one of Hodari’s abortion clinics following a suction abortion. In 2009, Hodari was fined a mere $10,000 for his part in the death of Regina Johnson in 2003.

Assistant Attorney General Darrin Fowler, who is seeking closure of Hodari’s clinic, wondered how emergency workers could access patients without the exit, and stated that the lack of exit left vulnerable women at risk.

Hodari’s attorney, Victor Norris, seemed unconcerned about the obvious safety risk to patients and callous to the plight of women who may suffer from abortion complications. “The department can’t be that concerned about irreparable harm if they gave the license in the first place,” he said.

“It is obvious that Hodari and his attorney want lower health and safety standards for abortion clinics than any other kind of facility. After killing four abortion patients, it hard to understand why his abortion clinics aren’t already closed,” said Cheryl Sullenger, Senior Policy Advisor for Operation Rescue. “Hodari is a wealthy man with an expensive classic car collection and a beautiful luxury home. Yet he is too cheap to put in a door that might save a woman’s life. That attitude alone shows he is menace and a danger to the public. We have safety laws for good reason. If Hodari doesn’t want to comply with the law, he’s in the wrong line of work and it becomes the duty of the Health Department to close him down.”

Hodari operates a chain of abortion clinics in Michigan, the number of which seems to fluctuate with circumstances. His other offices are not subject to closure.

It was a lack of access to an emergency exit that contributed to the death of abortion patient Karnamaya Mongar at Kermit Gosnell’s “house of horrors” abortion clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in November, 2009.

In 2009, Hodari placed his abortion clinics up for sale while dealing with a divorce and lawsuit that alleged he forced an abortion on a woman that had withdrawn her consent. The lawsuit was later settled for an undisclosed amount of money that is believed to have been a hefty sum. Hodari is also known stating publicly that he believes abortionists have a license to lie, and that he refuses to wash his hands between abortions, a practice that could spread disease and infection, because multiple washings chafe the skin on his hands. Four women are known to have died at Hodari-run abortion mills.