Judge Tosses All Sexual Abuse Charges Against Abortion Practitioner

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Oct 27, 2003   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Judge Tosses Some Sexual Abuse Charges Against Abortion Practitioner

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 27, 2003

Phoenix, AZ (LifeNews.com) — A judge tossed six of the abuse charges that had been filed against controversial abortion practitioner Brian Finkel.

Finkel had been charged with 67 counts of physical abuse by 35 women. They accuse Finkel of inappropriately touching their breasts and reproductive organs as well as making obscene remarks during both examinations and abortions.

George Gierloff, Finkel’s attorney, had asked Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Cates to dismiss some of the charges. He claimed a few of the women were abusing drugs at the time of the alleged abuse and others couldn’t remember any abuse but were prompted by police to recall details that may not have happened.

Just hours before the closing arguments were to be made on Monday, Cates tossed out six of the charges.

Though Finkel doesn’t deny touching the women, he claims his examination methods were standard medical practice. However, an abortion practitioner from South Dakota told the jury that wasn’t the case.

Also, members of Finkel’s abortion facility staff said they told Finkel to stop touching women the way he did, but he refused.

It is not clear whether prosecutors would contest the dropped charges or proceed with closing the case on the remaining 61 counts.

It is estimated that Finkel performs approximately 20 percent of the abortions done in Arizona.