Indiana Subpoenas Medical Records of Girls Under the Age of 14
Indiana Superior Court Judge Kenneth Johnson has ruled that Planned Parenthood of Indiana must turn over confidential medical records of more than 80 patients. Johnson denied Planned Parenthood's request for an injunction to stop Attorney General Steve Carter (R) from gaining access to the records of over 80 girls under the age of 14. Carter's office has already obtained records from 8 patients. Carter claims that the seizure of these confidential records is necessary to the state Medicaid Fraud Unit's investigation of reproductive health clinics' reporting of sexual abuse, according to Kaiser. Planned Parenthood of Indiana CEO Betty Cockrum said at the outset of the case that "This is a clear-cut case of abuse of power. Instead of protecting medical privacy rights, the attorney general is selling them out to his fishing expedition."
The case in Indiana is being compared to a similar case in Kansas earlier this year in which women's medical records from two abortion clinics were subpoenaed by the state. Two clinics in Kansas are still fighting attempts by Attorney General Phil Kline to subpoena medical records of 90 women and girls who sought late-term abortions at their clinics. Kline claimed that he needed the records in order to prosecute child rape.
These cases follow on the heels of last year's attempt by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to subpoena the medical records of over 2,700 women who had undergone certain abortion procedures at Planned Parenthood affiliated clinics across the country. In March of 2004, the DOJ dropped its subpoena. Planned Parenthood of Indiana has asked for a stay in its case and plans to appeal to the Indiana Court of Appeals if the request is denied
Media Resources: Kaiser 6/1/05; Planned Parenthood 3/14/05, 5/31/05; Indianapolis Star 5/31/05, The New York Times 6/1/05; Feminist Daily News Wire 2/3/04, 3/12/04, 3/2/05.
5/22/2013 Immigration Reform Bill Advances In Senate - Last night, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a sweeping immigration reform bill in a bipartisan vote of 13 to 5. . . .
5/22/2013 Afghan Women Arrested for 'Moral Crimes' Increases 50% - A new report by the Human Rights Watch shows that in the past 18 months the number of women in Afghanistan incarcerated for 'moral crimes' has increased from 400 to 600, a 50% growth.
Many of the women imprisoned for moral crimes were arrested running away from forced or abusive marriages and families, even though there is no law against leaving. . . .
5/22/2013 Army Commander Suspended for Adultery Amid Wave of Sexual Assaults - On Tuesday, Brigadier General Bryan T Roberts was suspended from his position as commander of the Fort Jackson, South Carolina training camp which trains approximately 60% of incoming female recruits pending an investigation into allegations of adultery.
Roberts was suspended following allegations of "adultery and a physical altercation." Colonel Christian Kubik, an Army spokesperson for the Training and Doctrine Command, told reporters "We don't have any evidence of any sexual assault. . . .
