Ohio law requires abortionists to have a transfer agreement with a private, nearby hospital in the event of a medical emergency from an abortion. But Planned Parenthood of Cincinnati was unable to find a hospital willing to connect with it and filed suit with federal judge Timothy Black against the state to overturn the law.
Now that Judge Black has stepped away from the case, pro-life organizations in Cincinnati are waiting to see which federal judge will deal with a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood against the state health department.
Paula Westwood of Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati tells OneNewsNow about the judge's past connections with Planned Parenthood.
"We put the information out that he has served as a past president and director of Planned Parenthood of Cincinnati," she explains. "He also served as its attorney – and as attorney he did target pro-life witnesses who had been [demonstrating] in front of Planned Parenthood."
According to Westwood, Black sought to have those pro-lifers held in contempt of court.
The pro-life spokeswoman shares that with release of that information, public pressure began to mount. "... I also am aware that people were making phone calls asking him to recuse himself," she continues. "It was a clear case of conflict of interest and it was a detriment to the judicial process – and we did learn on Saturday that it is official: he has recused himself ... reluctantly, but he has."
As yet, another judge has not been named to hear the case. Westwood says when it does go to court, one of the first objectives will be to ascertain why a federal court is being used to determine whether a state can regulate abortion and how.
By Charlie Butts, OneNewsNow.com
