A Wichita jury ruled Friday that George Tiller, MD is not guilty of illegal abortion on all 19 criminal charges brought against him. Dr. Tiller faced 19 misdemeanor charges for allegedly violating a state law requiring an “independent” second physician’s concurring opinion before performing later term abortions. Dr. George Tiller, medical director of the Women’s Health Care Services clinic, is one of the few late-term abortion providers in the country. Desperate women with troubled pregnancies and with serious health problems come to Dr. Tiller’s clinic from all over the country.
“We’re very grateful and relieved. With this unanimous jury verdict, hopefully politicians and lawyers may at last understand that legal harassment of Dr. Tiller must end,” said Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation, in a press release. Kathy Spillar, Executive Vice President of FMF and Coordinator of FMF’s National Clinic Access Project said Tiller “is a fine man who works to provide desperately needed health care services for women. In a modern nation with advanced medical knowledge, he should not have to go through such travails. We need more doctors to stand up against ideological bullies.”
Following the decision in Tiller’s criminal case, the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts made a similar complaint against Tiller that was originally filed in December 2008 public, according to the Kansas City Star. Tiller’s medical license could eventually be suspended or revoked by the board on the basis of the complaint.
