Uncategorized

Rudolph Trial Delayed Until 2004

A federal judge has delayed the trial of Eric Robert Rudolph, a suspect in bombings of two abortion clinics, a lesbian and gay nightclub, and Centennial Park in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics, until 2004. Rudolph’s trial in the bombing of a Birmingham women’s clinic was originally scheduled for August 4, and federal prosecutors had asked for a delay in order to prepare for the case. Prosecutors must look through 100,000 files relating to the Birmingham case alone, in addition to 600,000 files from the other three bombings, all in the Atlanta area, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Rudolph was captured on June 1 in Murphy, NC, after five years on the run from authorities. Rudolph, a Christian Identity adherent with connections to the violent anti-abortion group the Army of God, had eluded authorities for close to five years. The bombing of the New Woman All Woman Heath Care clinic killed an off-duty police officer and permanently injured a clinic nurse. Rudolph’s alleged bombing of the Centennial Park left one person dead and over 100 injured.

In a related ruling, Judge C. Lynwood Smith ordered that future documents pertaining to the Rudolph case be published on the Internet, according to CNN. Though this ruling goes against federal judicial policy, both sides signed agreements allowing these documents to be made publicly available online, CNN reports.

DONATE to the Feminist Majority Foundation and support our National Clinic Access Project

Sources:

Atlanta Journal-Constitution 7/29/03; CNN 7/29/03; Feminist Majority

Support eh ERA banner