Refuse & Resist! Update June 23, 2000
from the Reproductive Freedom Task Force
also available in PDF format
On Friday, May 26th, Dr. Bruce Steir was sentenced to one year in jail, and will be required to serve six months of the sentence. Dr. Steir is a dedicated, 69 year old abortion provider who has been committed to helping women by providing safe legal abortions for three decades. He traveled thousands of miles over the years to make sure women had access to abortion. Dr. Steir was tried on the unprecedented charge of murder related to a medical complication and subsequent death of a patient. Under tremendous legal, financial and emotional pressure, in failing health, and on the advice of his attorney, he pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter. This was a lesser charge than the original second degree murder charge. In addition to his jail time, he will serve five years probation and 1000 hours of community service. He must also pay $3,180 in salary for his probation officer and $1000 in reparations to the Hamptlon family (which may be increased later by the Judge), despite an earlier substantial settlement with the family. Judge Sherman also ignored a plea to allow Dr. Steir to return home first to get his affairs in order, and had him removed from the courtroom in handcuffs.
The ACLU of Northern California recently released a study that documents the ongoing selective harassment of abortion providers by the Medical Board of California (visit http://www.aclunc.org for more information), showing that Dr. Steir's claim that his arrest was politically motivated is true. The fact that Dr. Steir was charged with murder (the usual practice for a medical fatality is a malpractice suit), and the fact that he was convicted is part of a concerted anti-abortion strategy first outlined by Mark Crutcher of Life Dynamics. The conviction of Dr. Steir sets a dangerous precedent in this country. It constitutes a new type of threat to abortion providers with the goal of frightening other providers out of service.
The Reproductive Freedom Task Force of Refuse & Resist! is extremely concerned, saddened, and outraged about the harsh punishment of Dr. Steir, and this new strategy of "taking out" providers. We encourage substantive ongoing discussions in the pro-choice community about how we can change this climate that is allowing our providers to be picked off in new and ever-varying ways. Even though there was some support for Dr. Steir from the pro-choice community, over-all the community did not stand and support him at the level that would have enabled a vigorous, and likely successful, defense. We cannot let this happen again! We must be prepared to defend our providers, the clinics, and the women they serve from attacks on all fronts.
Please send letters of support, appreciation and thanks to Dr. Steir for his years of dedication. He needs our support now more than ever!
Dr. Bruce Steir
C/o Dr. Bruce Steir Defense Committee
1469 Humboldt Road, Suite 200
Chico, CA 95928
Please contribute generously to his defense fund. He has bankrupted his retirement fund during the 2 1/2 years of pre-trial litigation. The Defense Fund suggests donating $1 a day for the 180 days Bruce must sit in jail. Send your tax deductible donation to:
Dr. Bruce Steir Constitutional Litigation Fund
C/o Feminist Women's Health Center
1469 Humboldt Road, Suite 200
Chico, CA 95928
For more info: http://www.steirdefense.org email: steirfund@aol.com
For comments, and to discuss and further your ideas, contact us at:
RFTF of Refuse & Resist! 305 Madison Ave. #1166, NY, NY 10165
212-713-5657 email: RFTFMarch10@aol.com
[posted 6/25/00]
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