Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Kermit Gosnell Found GUILTY on Three First-Degree Murder Charges
Life Site ^ | Steven Ertelt

Posted on 05/13/2013 12:18:59 PM PDT by Morgana

The jury in the murder trial of abortion practitioner Kermit Gosnell returned a verdict and found him guilty on three of the four first-degree murder charges he faced.

Gosnell is charged with four counts of first-degree murder for killing babies following delivery in an abortion process that involved “snipping” their necks and spinal cords. He also faces a third-degree murder charge related to the death of a woman, Karnamaya Mongar, 41, of Virginia, from a botched legal abortion. Gosnell, who has been in jail since his January 2011 arrest.

The abortionist faces 258 counts total and other charges against him include one count of infanticide and one of racketeering, 24 counts of performing third-trimester abortions and 227 counts of failing to follow the 24-hour waiting period law before an abortion so women can consider its risks and alternatives.

Last week, the wanted to re-hear testimony from Adrienne Moton, a medical assistant who told the court in March that she snipped the spines of at least 10 babies during unorthodox abortions. And she said Dr. Kermit Gosnell and another employee did the same sipping technique.

Moton, the first employee to testify, sobbed as she recalled taking a cellphone photograph of one baby left in her work area. She thought he could have survived, given his size and pinkish color. She had measured him at nearly 30 weeks.

“The aunt felt it was just best for her (the mother’s) future,” Moton testified.

Gosnell later joked that the baby was so big he could have walked to the bus stop, she said.

Jurors saw Moton’s photograph on a large screen in the courtroom, which took on a bizarre look Tuesday as she testified near a hospital bed with stirrups and other aging obstetric equipment. Denied the chance to bring jurors to the shuttered inner-city clinic, prosecutors are instead recreating a patient room in court.

Moton, 35, sobbed as she described her work at the clinic. Because of problems at home, she had moved in with Gosnell and his third wife during high school, and she went to work for him from 2005 to 2008. She earned about $10 an hour, off the books, to administer drugs, perform sonograms, help with abortions and dispose of fetal remains. Workers got $20 bonuses for second-term abortions on Saturdays, when a half-dozen were sometimes performed.

She once had to kill a baby delivered in a toilet, cutting its neck with scissors, she said. Asked if she knew that was wrong, she said, “At first I didn’t.”

If sentenced for the convictions, Gosnell could face the death penalty following the convictions by the jury in Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia.

Under Pennsylvania law, all 12 of the jurors must reach a unanimous verdict on any of the murder counts Gosnell faces for him to be convicted on any of them. Each of the elements of a charged crime must be proven to each juror beyond reasonable doubt for that juror to vote to convict on that count and one reluctant juror could lead to a mistrial on any of the first-degree murder charges.

Since prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty in the case, the jury will only be deciding whether Gosnell is guilty related to the charges. If convicted, a second jury will be impaneled to determine sentencing under the penalty phase of the trial. During this phase, the judge has already instructed jurors to only consider guilt or innocence.

Given the number of charges Gosnell faces, and the fact that Gosnell has a co-defendant the jury is considering for conviction as well, the jury make take a longer period of time to arrive at a verdict on each of the 250-plus charges.

Most of the focus in the murder trial of abortion practitioner Kermit Gosnell is on the murder charges he faces for killing babies in abortion-infanticides and for killing a woman in a botched abortion.

But Gosnell faces more than 200 charges related to violating Pennsylvania state law that requires him to provide women with informed consent 24 hours prior to the abortion. Gosnell is charged with breaking that law by not giving women information about abortion risks and alternatives 24 hours prior to the abortion.

Eight other defendants who are former staffers of Gosnell’s Philadelphia abortion clinic have pleaded guilty to a variety of charges and are awaiting sentencing.

Previously, the judge in the case reinstated one of the murder charges and dropped another. Gosnell’s defense attorney asked the judge to drop three of the charges for killing the babies and the judge agreed with the contention there was not enough evidence to convict Gosnell on those charges. Another charge of infanticide was also dropped.

One of the dropped charges involved a 28-week-old baby Gosnell killed and whose remains were kept in an abortion clinic freezer.

Common pleas court Judge Jeffrey Minehart also dropped five counts of corpse abuse at the request of his defense attorney and did not explain his ruling dropping any of the charges.

The defense had argued that there were no live births at Gosnell’s Women’s Medical Center abortion clinic and contends the babies died during abortions and their necks were snipped afterwards. But former Gosnell staffers testified they saw signs of life even after the abortion had been completed — saying the babies “jumped” and “screamed” and tried to escape.

Gosnell, whose squalid “house of horrors” abortion clinic has surprised even investigative officials, has had almost flippant attitude toward his macabre abortion practices shocked the nation.

“The Gosnell case is a watershed moment for the issue of abortion,” said Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue and Pro-Life Nation. “The discovery of his horrific practices helped shed light on an abortion industry that has run amok without oversight or accountability for decades, and has prompted significant changes in abortion laws and attitudes toward enforcement in several states.”

Previously, Gosnell’s wife Pearl pleaded guilty to assisting her husband at his Philadelphia abortion center where he killed a woman in a botched abortion and has killed hundreds of babies in abortion-infanticides. Pearl Gosnell was considering a plea deal similar to the one several of Gosnell’s former abortion center employees have made where they have pleaded guilty to receive a lesser sentence in exchange for testifying against Gosnell.

CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!

Pearl also worked at the abortion center Gosnell ran that had him kill and injure women in failed abortions and kill perhaps hundreds of babies in grisly infanticides by birthing them and “snipping” their spinal cords. She worked at the Women’s Medical Society abortion business her husband ran as a full-time medical assistant from 1982 until she married Kermit Gosnell in 1990, when she switched to only working on Sundays.

At that time, the abortion business was officially closed but would do its latest-term abortions possible. The grand jury report indicates Pearl Gosnell testified that she alone helped Kermit do abortions on Sundays when she would “help do the instruments” in the operating room despite no medical training.

The murder charges also came in connection with the botched abortion death of 41-year-old Karnamaya Mongar, who died at Gosnell’s abortion clinic after a failed abortion. Mongar died November 20, 2009, after overdosing on anesthetics prescribed by the doctor.

Mongar’s family filed a lawsuit against Gosnell’s abortion business seeking damages. Gosnell and several staffers at his abortion center, including Pearl, were arrested in January after a grand jury indicted them on multiple charges after officials raided his abortion business following a woman’s death and discovered a “shop of horrors” filled with bags of bodies and body parts of deceased unborn children and babies killed in infanticides.

Meanwhile, women have spoken out about their treatment and one woman says she was drugged and tied up and forced to have an abortion. Authorities searching the facility found bags and bottles holding aborted babies scattered around the building, jars containing babies’ severed feet lining a shelf, as well as filthy, unsanitary furniture and equipment.

The grand jury investigation also shows state officials did nothing when reports came in about problems at Gosnell’s abortion center, which has upset incoming pro-life Governor Tom Corbett.

Gosnell’s abortion center was inspected only after a federal drug raid in 2010. It was the first time the facility had been inspected in 17 years because state officials ignored complaints and failed to visit Gosnell’s Women’s Medical Society for years.

The abortion industry has been forced to suspend two abortion businesses that employed embattled abortion practitioner Kermit Gosnell, who has been the subject of national controversy over his abortion business in Philadelphia.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; US: Pennsylvania; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: abortion; abortionismurder; abortionists; butchery; corruption; democrats; democratskillbabies; gosnell; gosnellverdict; guilty; infanticide; karnamayamongar; liberalism; mongar; moralabsolutes; murder; prolife; sniphisbarackspine
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 261-274 next last
To: Morgana

Praise God. He heard the prayers of the ones who loved His murdered children!


81 posted on 05/13/2013 12:39:03 PM PDT by luvie (All my heroes wear camos!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tapatio
Reporters in courtroom says Gosnell looked mad when verdict read.

Let's see what kind of expression he has when he gets to look into THIS face on Judgement Day...


82 posted on 05/13/2013 12:39:52 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (Fighting Obama without Boehner & McConnell is like going deer hunting without your accordion)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Guenevere
"And Shephard Smith just said this verdict had NOTHING to do with abortion."

Shep Smith is a fag and a leftwinger whose mind is diseased with liberalism. The little fruitcake can deny the sky is blue all he wants---doesn't change reality.

83 posted on 05/13/2013 12:39:56 PM PDT by CatherineofAragon ((Support Christian white males----the architects of the jewel known as Western Civilization).)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: St_Thomas_Aquinas

240 or so counts..and 2 defendants
There are more decisions yet to be announced..but the murder1 convictions are the ones we were hoping for..


84 posted on 05/13/2013 12:40:10 PM PDT by MEG33 (Prayers for all affected in Boston and West)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: CatherineofAragon

Right... nothing to do with abortion...

so, what were those women there for?


85 posted on 05/13/2013 12:41:32 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 83 | View Replies]

To: Guenevere

Good gosh...why is Sheppy even still on Fox?? I don’t watch it, anymore, and this is just one of the reasons why.


86 posted on 05/13/2013 12:41:44 PM PDT by Jane Long (While Marxists continue the fundamental transformation of the USA, progressive RINOs stay silent.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson; Morgana

Every once in a while, something happens to remind me that I need to keep Faith... I’ve been having a very difficult time of it of late.

This is one of those moments that make me remember...

Thank you Lord...


87 posted on 05/13/2013 12:41:57 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

I too am very happy for the verdict and my initial reaction is similar to others; that he should have a pair of scissors rammed in the back of his skull. On further reflection, however, I have to believe that even his life is valuable and that he should suffer in prison and be given the chance to repent before he faces the ultimate judgment.

May God forgive him but I am struggling to do so.


88 posted on 05/13/2013 12:43:29 PM PDT by SPI-Man (I am root)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

His sentencing should be the death penalty by snipping his spinal cord above his lungs. He saw nothing wrong with doing that to children.


89 posted on 05/13/2013 12:43:57 PM PDT by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ironfocus

Don’t worry. After he leaves this life he will face the Ultimate Judge. And not one of those poor little souls will be left unavenged.


90 posted on 05/13/2013 12:44:15 PM PDT by Mom MD (A million people attended Obamas inauguration. 14 of them actually missed work)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: MrB

“Abortion should remain safe and LEGAL. Gosnell broke the law, and if women aren’t offered legal choice, you will see more of his ilk.”

Thats from DU. i won’t lower myself to respond there but this rocket scientist missed the point that this came about while abortion was free and easy and the entire permissive culture is to blame.


91 posted on 05/13/2013 12:44:25 PM PDT by wiggen (The teacher card. When the racism card just won't work.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

The democrats are going to have a fit.

Killing babies is like watching sports to them.
The more dead the better.

What a sick country to allow any abortions.


92 posted on 05/13/2013 12:44:31 PM PDT by factmart
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FReepers; Patriots; FRiends; RedMDer; DJ MacWoW; The Cajun







It's vitally important to Keep Free Republic Alive!
Please Contribute Today, Monthly, if you can.
ALL Contributions are for "this" Quarter's Expenses!

93 posted on 05/13/2013 12:44:41 PM PDT by onyx (Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Servant of the Cross

Amen!


94 posted on 05/13/2013 12:44:46 PM PDT by RedMDer (May we always be happy and may our enemies always know it. - Sarah Palin, 10-18-2010)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Third Person
I think the tide is turning; think of the outrage over Casey Anthony. The Gosnell trial exposed late term abortion for what it is; infanticide. You could reasonably argue that Casey Anthony did nothing different than Gosnell. Thus the secret is out: abortion = murder.
95 posted on 05/13/2013 12:45:01 PM PDT by Dansong
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: Guenevere

Right, Gosnell just happened to walk into the exam room & found the babies on the table...

Don’t get a backache from the contortions, Shep.


96 posted on 05/13/2013 12:45:05 PM PDT by mikrofon (+ Prayers UP +)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

97 posted on 05/13/2013 12:45:27 PM PDT by Clint N. Suhks (The amount of ammo you need is determined after the gunfight.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Boy, if he gets a death sentence, he’ll be an even bigger cause de celebre than Mumia.


98 posted on 05/13/2013 12:46:18 PM PDT by Kenton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Just found out! WOOHOO!!!! YAAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

We have the death penalty here in Pa!


99 posted on 05/13/2013 12:46:38 PM PDT by sneakers (Go Sheriff Joe!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Morgana

Thank the Lord...and now lets put him down.


100 posted on 05/13/2013 12:47:02 PM PDT by caww
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120 ... 261-274 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson