N.Y. Law Increases Penalties for Violence Against Abortion Clinic Staff, Patients

November 2, 2009 — New York Gov. David Paterson (D) last week signed a law that will stiffen penalties for causing physical injury to abortion providers and their patients, the AP/Washington Post reports. Under the law, physical injury to a person obtaining or providing abortion services would be considered a new class E felony, and a first-time offender could be liable for up to 15 years in prison. Repeat offenders could face tougher penalties. The law also extends protections to clinic volunteers for the first time.

State Assembly member Sam Hoyt (D), who sponsored the law, said, "New York state can now boast the strongest laws in the nation protecting the safety of reproductive health care workers." Hoyt began drafting the legislation following the murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller in May. He said the law will not affect the free speech rights of peaceful demonstrators, adding, "Its purpose is to penalize criminal violent conduct that causes injury to health care providers and patients."

Lynne Slepian -- the widow of a New York abortion provider, Barnett Slepian, who was murdered in 1998 -- said, "I'm confident that with greater penalties for violent offenders and greater attention to this issue, New York state's reproductive health care community will suffer fewer and fewer incidents like the one that took my husband away from our family and the patients in this community." Slepian was shot in his home by a sniper. Antiabortion-rights activist James Kopp is serving life in prison for the crime.

Lynn Dearmyer, a Planned Parenthood volunteer, said the new law might encourage more people to volunteer. She said protesters "don't always come across as hostile, at least toward us, but you're always aware because you don't know these people and you don't know what they're capable of" (Thompson, AP/Washington Post, 10/29).