Justice Dept. Demands Abortion Records

AP ^ | 2/12/04 | DAVID CRARY

[To Hell With Poverty]

NEW YORK (AP) - Under fire from abortion-rights groups, Attorney General John Ashcroft insisted Thursday that doctor-patient privacy is not threatened by a government attempt to subpoena medical records in a lawsuit over the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.

At stake are records documenting certain late-term abortions performed by doctors who have joined in a legal challenge of the disputed ban. President Bush signed the act into law last year.

[cyborg]

I love the way Ashcroft respects privacy :/

[dagnabbit]

I bet those unborn children would have preferred some privacy in the womb.

[cyborg]

I don't care. No more government intrusion into citizen's personal records.

[jwalsh07]

I love the way Ashcroft respects privacy :/

Ashcroft is uninterested in patients names, he is interested in how many babies have been torn limb from limb on the way out for no reason other than an inconvenince to the mother and father.

Any concerns for the baby's right to life or privacy for that matter?

[cyborg]

intrusion into patient's records

[livius]

This is a response to a lawsuit, not idle curiousity.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

I don't care. No more government intrusion into citizen's personal records.

I just had to respond to your post. I don't know what to say, so I guess I won't say anything. Sad.

[jwalsh07]

murder

[dagnabbit]

I don't care

Others do. That's why there's a PBA ban.

[kristinn]

This is called 'discovery.' The doctors sued so the defendant, the government in this case, is seeking evidence to defend the PBA law.

[jwalsh07]

Presumably, you are of the mind that the government also has no interest in gathering information on the spread of communicable diseases, HIV, cancer et al.

If so, then you are consistent, wrong but consistent. If not, then your opinion is relatively useless.

[cyborg]

Government should stay out of personal medical records. I am concerned about government intrusion into citizen's personal information. That's all.

[sistergoldenhair]

I abhor this procedure.
But I'm with you on this: No more government intrusion into citizen's personal records

[dagnabbit]

intrusion into patient's records

intrusion into people's skulls

[cyborg]

At least ONE person understands what I'm saying. I'm pro-life BUT I am not for the government digging into records for some 'righteous' cause.

[cyborg]

okay

[I got the rope]

At least ONE person understands what I'm saying. I'm pro-life BUT I am not for the government digging into records for some 'righteous' cause.

A baby died. The "righteous" must now administer Justice. Jeesh.

[sistergoldenhair]

government digging into records for some 'righteous' cause.

The camel's nose...

[Iconoclast2]

The doctor who signed the affidavit saying the procedure was medically necessary put his own practice at issue. He can't testify like that without having the facts to back it up, and it is a miscarriage of justice to deny the Government the opportunity to prove him a liar. If he wants to withdraw the affidavit, and protect his patients from the unlikely event that someone could deduce their names from the medical history, so be it.