Kan. Judge Delays Case Alleging Planned Parenthood Falsified Abortion Documents

October 27, 2011 — Kansas District Court Judge Stephen Tatum has delayed a case involving criminal allegations against Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, Mother Jones reports.

The case was brought against PPKM by former state Attorney General Phill Kline (R) in 2007 (Sheppard, Mother Jones, 10/25). Earlier this month, a three-member panel of the Kansas Board for Discipline of Attorneys recommended that Kline have his state law license indefinitely suspended because of his conduct during investigations of abortion providers (Women's Health Policy Report, 10/14).

The lawsuit alleges that physicians at Comprehensive Health, a Planned Parenthood clinic in Overland Park, did not properly determine the gestational age of fetuses before performing abortions, thereby conducting illegal procedures too late in pregnancy. The state also accused the clinic of covering up inadequate record-keeping with fake documents.

However, the prosecution last week revealed that it cannot submit the documents for evidence because the Kansas Department of Health and Environment shredded them in 2005. As a result, Tatum delayed the case until a Nov. 9 status conference.

Peter Brownlie, CEO of PPKM, said, "These charges are without any legal or factual basis," adding, "We've always been confident that whenever we finally get a chance to defend against these charges, we will be vindicated" (Mother Jones, 10/25).