Note to Wingers: This is Called Judicial (System) Activism
By The New York Times reported yesterday on an alarming trend out of the anti-woman/forced pregnancy camp in Kansas. In that state (and a few others), state laws allow people to petition for a grand jury investigation into, well, just about anything that they can get enough signatures for. This time, it’s to investigate Dr. George Tiller, the doctor who provides late term abortions to women out of his Wichita, Kansas clinic. Dr. Tiller has been performing abortions since the 1970s and has been harassed virtually the entire time. He has faced extreme violence –including being shot in both arms by an abortion opponent.
And now he is waiting for the results of a grand jury investigation into whether Dr. Tiller has illegally performed second and third trimester abortions. Which, I’m going to guess, he hasn’t. If you were under as much scrutiny as he has been over the years, you would follow the law to a tee too.
Anyway, here’s the quote that lays bare how ridiculous and politically-motivated these grand jury investigations are:
The grand jury meeting here is at least the 10th ordered by petition in the state in recent years: two investigated abortion providers, including Dr. Tiller, and the rest investigated misdemeanor obscenity violations by stores selling explicit videos, magazines and other items. Only one has led to a conviction.
Right. So all 10 grand jury investigations were against either people selling porn or providing a health service for women. But it’s not a fishing expedition. nooo sireeeee.
Talk about abuse of the courts. This is what I’d call judicial (system) activism.