JoCo DA accuses Planned Parenthood of illegal late-term abortions

UPDATED: The JoCo DA's office has a PDF of the criminal complaint. The site also says that Parenthood could be on the hook for $2.5 million in fines if convicted on all charges.

PREVIOUSLY ... From The Star: Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline has charged the Overland Park Planned Parenthood clinic with more than 100 criminal counts, including performing illegal late-term abortions.

According to court records, Kline filed 106 complaints against Planned Parenthood. The agency is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 16 in connection to the complaint.

Kline spokesman Brian Burgess said he could not comment. Court documents in the case have been sealed. Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri did not immediately return a call for comment.

Comments

[the B Guy]

Heeeeeeeere's Phil!!!

*ahem*

Political motivation.

It's odd... this will spawn a huge series of replies, but the whole thing is only 2 words long.

Political motivation.

[janey54]

Phil Kline is obsessed...well maybe possessed.

[Fed UP!]

B Guy I agree 1000%.

This guy really needs to get a life. You can beat a drum so long, then people stop listening to the tune.

GET A LIFE MR. KLINE!

[C.A]

Is this the only "crime" he knows how to persecute? Doesn't Johnson County have any serious crime that needs his attention?

[JTW]

This abortion controversy has been beaten to death with neither side making any gain in its respective stand over many years. Frankly, it's become an incredibly dull subject and shows every indication of becoming increasingly boring as the years go by.

[JoCo Resident]

Phil needs to stop. He really needs to get out of public office since he only has one issue on his mind at all times. He travels the country speaking at anti-abortion rallies, and he's pulling in good extra money on our dime doing that. So we need him to just get out, and go earn his money at these speaking engagements.

He is an embarrasment to every JoCo resident.

[The Zipper]

actually, while Phil Kline generally makes me sick, I must disagree with "the b guy" who stated that all this is politically motivated. Kline is absolutely finished as a statewide candidate after being embarrassed by "news camera loving" Paul Morrison. He has announced he will not run for re-election for DA anyway. People in JOCO still can't stomach the guy from when he ran for congress against Dennis Moore. The facts are these.....its one of two things:
A) he is a true believer and is very offended by the pro-choicers.
B) he is, and will continue to, make a lot of money as an ex- attorney general od a state giving speeches to pro-life groups.
Its probably a mix of both A and B.
I'm actually pro-life but guys like Kline give a bad name to the movement making everyone look like a reactionary wingnut.

The headlines he creates will drive up the amount he charges for his speeches.

[JTW]

Is this Phil chap elected or appointed? Just curious. I'm a Texan and know nothing about politics in your area.

[EDM]

Are you kidding me? Abortion is horrible. One of the replies was "Doesn't Johnson County have any serious crime that needs his attention?" To think that someone see's "serious crimes" more important than killing little infants is, to be honest, disgusting.

Abortion is a serious crime against little infants. Unfortunately, our laws do not reflect that. They used to.

Many people in our society are now used to abortions. Wake up America! Killing babies is wrong and Phil Kline has the guts to sacrifice his career over doing something right.

[JewwellsP]

Phil was appointed by a republican committee. Who I still have yet to find out who they are & how they were chosen to serve on this committee.
Because believe me when I say this.
Every single JOCO resident will know who is on the republican committee that chose him when I find out.

[aqua]

I swear, mention Phil Kline's name and the looneys come out to play.

Illegal Late Term Abortions are illegal.

It's not pro-choice vs pro-life.

I just hope Phil doesn't screw up the prosecution.

[k]

Jewells - I don't know who was on the committee that appointed Kline, but I know the Olathe Daily News printed a list of the committee members at the time. I think it was printed at the request of county officials because they kept getting so many angry calls about it.

[smf]

Boy I sure wouldn't jump on the 'More power to Phil wagon' just yet. (well, frankly I would never be on that wagon) But regardless he's been known to go to any length to bring his name to the forefront, including exaggerated charges and or charges with little proof behind them and not prosecuteable. Phil will not be happy until Roe vs Wade is overturned, women have no choice in their lives, all planned parenthoods are permanantley shut down and the whole country is run by God fearing right wing Christians. Now there's a conforting thought.

[AJ]

EDM - I agree that abortion is horrible, but it's naive to think that outlawing it again is going to make it go away. Women should be given the option of a medical procedure instead of being forced to resort to coat hangers or back alley clinics. You're entitled to your opinion on abortion - but it's not our place to legislate what's right for an individual.

[Nick]

Is this Phil chap elected or appointed? Just curious. I'm a Texan and know nothing about politics in your area. - JTW

My friend Jewwells is misleading you. Kline was elected by the Republican precinct heads to fill the vacancy created by our previous DA who switched parties because he couldn't get an endorsement for AG.
It's been a very entertaining side show ever since day one.

[john]

you joco people ought to be happy its only phil kline behind this...it could be a bunch of right wing christians signing petitions to get grand jurys formed to first investigate the medical records of planned parenthood then secondly making public those medical records. you know thats exactly what they want.

[rumi]

While I am against killing fetuses just because they would be an inconvenience to someone, like a teenager whom didn't use protection. I applaud the job planned parenthood has done. There is more then meets the eye and heart here. There is the issue of rape and incest, not to mention the fact that some young ladies would commit suicide rather then face the shame of giving birth out of wedlock and frightened to death of how their parents or friends would take it. When not having an abortion is more life threatening then having one, I think everyone has the right to live and this includes the mother.Severe counseling and services are needed. I think only a last ditch effort in the first trimester should result in an abortion. All the factors have to be mitigated into the final decision, which PPH does. This is a complicated issue and whom among you can say what is right, have you ever been a teenage girl afraid and pregnant. My sister had a clothes hanger abortion and almost lost her life. She was young and didn't know what to do. Her boyfriend at the time and his mother forced her to get one as a matter of fact she was an RN and performed it at her home. My sister nearly died, she had to be rushed to the hospital hemorrhaging. Is that what you want for your daughter or do you want them to be able to get real medical services?

[Herbert Spencer was a genius]

To our Texas friend. We here in Kansas will kill a baby at the drop of a hat, but we protect and molly coddle our mass murderers. Phill Kline is one of the few that have bucked that trend, but you can see from the responses here that the Nazi contingent is big around here.

[Me]

Phil Kline is a nutjob and it saddens me that the rest of the state (which isn't exactly liberal) is laughing at the right-wing nutjobs in JOCO. They already have enough to laugh at us about with our spoiled, BMW-driving kids sucking up all the school money.

Oh he is not that bad..look at it this way..us wanting to go into business by ourselves all we need is a coat hanger...LOL

[C.A.]

EDM- I am the one that asked about "serious crime". Answer this, you don't consider murder, gangs, drug dealers, or rapists serious crime? Grow up and get with the modern world. Phill needs to quit being a One Note Johnny and stop with pushing his agenda. He's a public figure which means he needs to stop forcing his beliefs on everyone and take a hard look at what's going on in the real world. I hope no "serious crime" ever happens to you or your family while he's in office or you may have take a back seat to his issues.

[JoCo Resident]

Nick, Phil was NOT elected. He was appointed through a vote by a committee of elected precinct leaders of the republican party in JoCo.

It may be splitting hairs, but that doesn't qualify as an election.

And for those of you wondering who appointed Mr. Kline, you can find the list here, sorted by city.
http://www.jocoelection.org/Directory/D-PrecinctCommittee-Republican.htm

[Nick]

Phill Kline is one of the few that have bucked that trend, but you can see from the responses here that the Nazi contingent is big around here. - HSWAG

Actually they are quite small. Note when the topic appears and charges are actually announced there is the sudden appearance of all the new, "nicks" and anonymous posts. Many of these posts are by the same people over and over again, with others being employees of PP and their related front groups.

[Nick]

It may be splitting hairs, but that doesn't qualify as an election.- JOCO Resident

No it isn't splitting hairs. It does most certainly qualify as an election as prescribed by law and by the definition of the term. To say otherwise is a blatant falsehood. If he were appointed, by definition, he would have been assigned by a fixed or mutual agreement. This is in direct contrast, and diametrically opposed with the way in which he was elected by a vote of the eligible representatives.
Nice try though. Your way sounds so vicious and cruel. ;-)

[smf]

Nick...just because some of us don't spend our lives on this blog..doesn't mean we are new to it. it may just be that we don't feel as strongly about all issues listed here. but when we do find one that interests us, we chime in. didn't know we had to be invited. thought it was open to all. also didn't know that when responding in here we should take care to always agree with your supreme knowledge on all issues or be subject to riducule. everyone is entitled to their own opinions..and wouldn't it be nice to have an open dialogue as opposed to being labled or bashed however covertly worded. Nazi contingent huh? sheesh...

[Nick]

SMF,

Are you sure you are meaning to address this to me? I simply commented as a reply to the person claiming that the "Nazi" contingent was large.

I never once singled anyone out, called them anything of the kind or insinuated someone needed special permission to post. I simply pointed out that many of the pointless, slander purpose posts were of that origion, which they are.

Besides, I wouldn't call your "nick" a sudden new one. I've seen it before, so why all the sensitivity?

[JoCo Resident]

Nick, he was no more elected to the position he holds than any of a Presidents cabinent members, or any Supreme Court Justice is elected.

A vote by ELECTED officials to fill an office or position is an appointment.

A vote by the general public is an election.

Phill Kline was appointed by ELECTED officials, not the general public of the community.

[Nick]

Well I am sorry JoCo Resident. Your vision of the terms are contrary to the legal and literal definitions of them. I realize you don't like it, so the obvious thing to do is assign your own meaning in order to fit your agenda. Good luck with that. Wish you the best.

[JoCo Resident]

Nick, I realize that the State of Kansas calls it an "election"... but that doesn't mean it is, by any definition. Kansas isn't exactly known as the worldwide leader in the intelligence category. Being a recent transplant here, I can see why.

[Joe S TheRagMan]

I have a question.

I heard, allegedly, that part of the reason Kline was so motivated to get the Tiller fellow was because he had allegedly (again) performed abortions on underage girls who may have been victims of molestation, but didn't contact authorities with this information.

Has anyone else heard anything about that?

My source allegedly interviewed Kline for an alleged research paper for his alleged college.

Allegedly.....

[jackinthebox]

Check out the last page of the pdf where a judge certifies that there is probable cause that the defendant committed the crimes.

[parkay]

Planned Parenthood will be found guilty of illegal late-term abortions, violating state and medical regulations, and covering up rapes in order to profitably market contraceptives, disease treatment, and abortions to rapists so that they can continue abusing their victims.
We will have a means to justice, thanks to DA Kline. We will have dangerous abortionist quacks in prison. We will have abolition.

[AH]

I had an aunt that needed a partial birth abortion because the baby was stuck in the birth canal. The head was too large to go back but the shoulders were to large and apparently too well developed to go back. I will never be against abortions. Even now or especially now the life of both the baby and the mother mean nothing to anyone other than a political/emotional moment.

Yes the baby did die and the mother lived but only after five days attempting to give birth to a child. There are other women that will go through this same trauma because of short sighted fanatics.

[lawman]

If any of you understood the actual justice system, you would know that a judge had to agree with Kline and find probable cause on every charge. Morrison's comments in the article are insulting to the judge who approved the charges and found probable cause thereby agreeing with Kline. But of course, the liberal media will never report that!! Morrison is just mad because he said they did nothing wrong but Kline is the DA and filed charges and a judge agreed with him not Morrison. I bet that makes Morrison hot because he no longer has any say in Johnson County!

[EGOR]

Really, all everyone has to do is vote Democrat. . . that will take care of it.

[Tom K]

Obviously Johnson County Republicans elected Phill Kline to use as a hitman against Planned Parenthood.

[Nick]

I bet that makes Morrison hot because he no longer has any say in Johnson County! - Lawman

I figured sooner or later his friend Nola's contention that the AG had no authority would come back and bite him. I never thought it would be this quick though. He must be livid.

[Nick]

Obviously Johnson County Republicans elected Phill Kline to use as a hitman against Planned Parenthood. - TK

I am sure there were some, but many just wanted someone who would enforce the laws and prosecute the cases instead of grossly overcharging individuals in order to gain a plea bargain through intimidation. Many felt the alternative would have been a continuation of Morrison policies.
Still others saw it as a fitting way to poke a floor crosser in the eye.
Others made it a way to make up for having a candidate for state office embarrass the county by agreeing to drop a criminal investigation without ever having seen a shred of evidence.

[Stinger]

Since we all know how terrible a lawyer Phil Kline is I would wager that he will lose the suit. He is the same person who let his law license lapse more than once because he would rather spew his lies and stupidity on talk radio than actually practive law. Of course that was better for Kansas because then he could be ignored for the simpleton he truly is.

[fergie]

AH,

I am sorry to hear about your aunt. That is a scary thing that can happen during labor.

Curious, as I had never heard of a partial birth abortion as medical procedure for when a baby is stuck in the birth canal due to the shoulders being stuck.

In the case of shoulder dystocia (the shoulders getting stuck) various manuevers would be tried in order to free the baby, sometimes requiring an epsiotomy and vacuum or forceps. And if that didn't work a C section might be done. Or possibly abdominal surgery (which a hysterectomy would be done) Sometimes, the doctor will need to fracture the clavicle when attempting to deliver the baby vaginally.

Do you know if they had tried those inteventions? Again, I had never heard of a partial birth abortion being used in this circumstance...going to have to do some research.

[patches]

Info on the procedure...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intact_dilation_and_extraction

[kcbabe]

First off, it saddens me when people use terms like Nazi contingent just because their views aren't the same as yours. First graders resort to name calling so please grow up.

Secondly, if planned parent hood broke the law they should be found guilty. Although I am not pro-life, I am pro-law. Also, I do have a problem with a guy who uses the office to push his own agenda. All I ever hear about Kline is his view on abortion-does the guy do anything else?

Lastly, I don't necessarily agree with abortion. I thank God that I've never been in a position where I had to make that decision but I think the choices go like this:
Option 1: Have an abortion
Option 2: Have a child, continue making minimum wage, subject the child to poor education, health-care..etc, create a vicious cycle of poverty...

[Bo Johnson]

I think we ought to wait and see how these charges pan out. Then, if they are accurate Planned Parenthood ought to be shut down. If the charges are dismissed Kline ought to resign.

[Rusty Rail]

Phill Kline is a religious bigot.

Phill Kline as well as the extreme right wing religious crackpots of the Johnson County Republican Party would have loved Salem in 1692.

How many of you have personally known someone that had an abortion? Probably not many.

Let's outlaw abortion and go back to the time when abortion's were performed by the unqualified under less than sanitary conditions.

[JC_in_KC]

Wow lots of hatred on this blog. I do not really know a lot about Kline and do not care, but it sounds like there are laws that PP is supposed to follow. If they are in fact not following them, they should face punishment. If they are following them, then a large company such as PP should have no problem with documentation. As for Kline I do see his name go hand in hand with abortion and PP. I would be willing to bet that is due to our liberal friends at the one sided Star.

[jeano]

The topic of abortion always brings out the hate. It IS a very important issue but is it any more important than poverty, lack of jobs, rising health care costs, cost of living rising faster than salaries, etc.? It is strictly emotion that keeps this one in the forefront. It shouldn't be like that. ALL life is important, fetuses as well as those already here!

[DT]

Kline prepares the charges and goes to a judge who certifies probable cause and orders Planned Parenthood to appear. This happens *before* PP was notified that it was going to happen and *before* they've had a chance to appear in court or see the charges.

Kline's rigged the process, seems to me. I'm not an attorney, so can someone speak to this?

[Newbie]

Prolife, an unwanted fetus another bane on society from abuse or poor environment.

Why don't you Prolifer's adopt these unwanted children and give them good homes?

[Lb]

It is ironic that you talk about hatred and all you're doing is defending murdering children in the womb. That's hatred! You write, "an unwanted fetus another bane on society" --- a society with no family values who thinks of children as a problem to society? Why don't you move to Communist Russia? And, yes, prolifer's do adopt unwanted children all the time, but how else can they save the murdered children?

[Lb]

We can't save murdered children by "adopting" them (in response to "Why don't you Prolifer's adopt these unwanted children and give them good homes?). And as for, "the life of both the baby and the mother mean nothing to anyone other than a political/emotional moment" -- that's just you talking out of your emotions. I personally know tons of people who are regular citizens who spend HOURS in the rain picketing and praying in front of abortion mills.