Abortion clinic nurse reprieve
Published: January 9, 2009
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Supreme Court has reversed a lower court’s decision and ruled a Birmingham nurse charged with illegally performing abortions can claim she acted with a doctor’s permission.
Janet F. Onthank King faces misdemeanor charges of wrongfully performing abortions at Summit Medical Center in Birmingham, which has since closed.
Attorney Richard Jaffe said his client had an agreement with a doctor that allowed her to administer an abortion-inducing drug without the physician being there.
Prosecutors said the agreement was irrelevant because of the state law that says abortions can only be performed by doctors.
The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals sided with prosecutors in July, but the Supreme Court reversed that decision Friday.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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