Michigan's prolife Attorney General Bill Schuette recently filed a lawsuit in Eaton County Circuit Court to permanently close two abortion clinics in Michigan. The lawsuit is focused on Health Care Clinic near Lansing and Women's Choice Clinic in Saginaw.
The clinics have been operating for years as for-profit medical facilities without a licensed medical professional in charge. The owner of the clinics is not a medical professional and state law requires for‑profit corporations which provide medical care services to be run by licensed medical professionals. The Attorney General’s office is also moving to prevent the current abortion clinic owner from ever owning another for-profit medical facility.
Schuette said, "To ensure accountability and patient safety, Michigan law requires medical facilities to be incorporated with a licensed medical professional at the helm. Strict enforcement of the law ensures medical clinics cannot put profit ahead of responsible patient care."
In response to the lawsuit, Eaton County Circuit Court Judge Calvin Osterhaven signed a temporary restraining order (TRO). The clinics must remain closed until the date of the first hearing in the case. The hearing was scheduled for November 21, 2011.
Schuette has also asked the State Bureau of Health Systems to look into evidence which suggests 50 percent or more of the procedures performed at the clinics are abortions. If more than 50 percent of their procedures are abortions, the clinics must be licensed under the Public Health Code as freestanding surgical outpatient facilities. Freestanding surgical facilities require a license which contains more stringent state regulations designed to protect patients.
These abortion clinics were previously in the news in 2010 when the remains of 17 aborted children were found in a trash dumpster outside the Lansing-area abortion clinic along with the full names of female patients on clinic paperwork.
In response to this discovery, state legislators have written legislation to ensure the humane disposition of the remains of aborted children. This legislation passed the State House on October 20.
The discovery of the aborted children also prompted the Attorney General’s office to launch an investigation which uncovered evidence the abortion clinics were improperly incorporated and may have broken additional state rules.
Right to Life of Michigan President Barbara Listing said, "I laud Attorney General Schuette for following the law and pressing charges against these two abortion businesses. Those involved in the occupation of abortion are not above the law. Our attorney general has uncovered violations which should result in Health Care Clinic and Women's Choice Clinic being shut down."
Right to Life of Michigan will continue to follow this lawsuit and will provide information when the Court enters a judgment in the case. For more information about this case and the prolife laws to regulate these law-breaking abortion clinics, visit Right to Life of Michigan at www.rtl.org.
