News Briefs

Babysitter Sentenced in Abortion Trauma Death

An Iowa babysitter who claimed that post-abortion trauma led her to kill a toddler by slamming him on the floor has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.

Tifany Meyers, 19, pled guilty in October to second-degree murder in the death of 21-month-old Joel Vasquez. She later asked for a new trial on the grounds that her depression over an abortion she had only days before Vasquez's death prevented her from understanding her constitutional rights. The judge denied the request for a new trial.  (Source: Des Moines Register, Dec. 8, 2000)

Doctor Pleads Guilty in Abortion Injection Case

A New York doctor has pled guilty to attacking his pregnant girlfriend outside a Bronx hospital and injecting her with methotrexate, an abortion-inducing drug, in an attempt to end her pregnancy.

As part of a plea agreement, Dr. Stephen Pack admitted attacking Joy Schepis last April and injecting her with the drug, but he will serve no more than three years in prison for the incident. Schepis gave birth to a healthy baby boy in late November.  (Sources: New York Times; April 15, 2000; New York Post, Dec. 1, 2000; Associated Press; Jan. 11, 2001)

Woman Will Serve No Jail Time in Forced Abortion Case

A Florida woman who forced her 15-year-old daughter to go to an abortion clinic at gunpoint will not serve any time in jail or have a criminal record. Glenda Dowis, 42, was sentenced to two years' community service and three years' probation as part of a plea agreement.

Dowis was arrested after telling an employee at a Fort Pierce abortion clinic she was going to "blow her [daughter's] brains out" if she did not abort, and her daughter wrote on a form that her mother was forcing her to have an abortion. Abortion facility workers called police, who later found a gun in Dowis' car. Prosecutors say they accepted Dowis' plea agreement because her daughter, who did not have an abortion but no longer lives with her mother, refused to testify against her.  (Sources: Palm Beach Post, Aug. 2, 2000; Associated Press; Jan. 6, 2001)

Ex-Football Player Convicted in Abortion-Murder Case

A former NFL football player must serve at least 18 years in prison for hiring someone to murder his pregnant girlfriend in November 1999 after she refused to have an abortion.

Rae Carruth, a former wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder for helping kill his girlfriend, Cherica Adams, by blocking her car so another man could pull up and shoot her. Prosecutors say he planned the shooting to avoid paying child support for his unborn son, who survived. Adams died of massive injuries about a month after the shooting. (Sources: Associated Press, Nov. 20, 2000, Jan. 20, 2001, Jan. 22, 2001)

Abortionist Accused of Doing Nonconsensual Abortion

The Kansas state medical board has filed a petition against an abortionist for performing an abortion without the patient's consent. Kristin Neuhaus of Lawrence is under investigation for sedating a woman and performing an abortion on her after the woman had withdrawn her consent on June 7.

Neuhaus had earlier been temporarily banned from giving anesthesia pending an investigation into whether anesthesia and sedatives were properly administrated and the abortion clinic was adequately equipped to handle emergencies. The current investigation could result in fines and/or the suspension or loss of Neuhaus' medical license.  (Source:  Lawrence (KS) World-Journal; Dec. 7, 2000)

Abortionist Convicted of Extortion, Sued for Malpractice

An abortionist was convicted Jan. 30 of attempting to extort millions of dollars from a Florida county by falsely accusing a county official of making bomb threats against his abortion clinic.

James Scott Pendergraft, the owner of several abortion facilities, faces up to 30 years in federal prison. His real estate advisor, Michael Spielvogel, who admitted in court that he lied about the threats to the FBI, could serve 40 years. Pendergraft is also facing a lawsuit filed by a former patient accusing him of botching an abortion on her and perforating her uterus, resulting in an emergency hysterectomy. The abortion took place at the Orlando Women's Center, also owned by Pendergraft.  (Sources: Florida Star Banner; June 18, 2000; Orlando Sentinel, July 8, 2000; Associated Press; Feb. 1, 2001, Feb. 15, 2001)

Arizona Court to Rule on Abortionist's Lawsuit

The Arizona Supreme Court will rule on whether a pro-life lawyer abused the legal system by filing abortion malpractice cases.

The case stems from two malpractice suits filed by John Jakubcyk against Brian Finkel, a Phoenix abortionist. Finkel claims that Jakubcyk's lawsuits were intended to raise his insurance premiums and put him out of business, making it harder for women to get abortions in Arizona. A lower court ruled that Finkel failed to prove that Jakubcyk did something more abusive than file lawsuits on behalf of clients.  (Source: Associated Press, Dec. 7, 2000)

Australian Killed Husband After Forced Abortions

An Australian woman will serve at least 18 months in prison for killing her husband, whom she says raped her and used threats to force her to have two abortions.

Yun Young Ko, a Korean native, told police she could "hear a baby crying" when she stabbed her husband, Shin Woong Ha, to death in August 1999. In setting a maximum sentence of four years in prison, the judge ruled that Ko was "substantially impaired" by severe depression and that Ha's brutal treatment of her had caused her to lose control.  (Source: Australian Associated Press, Dec. 11, 2000)