‘Gosnell Should Be Acquitted’: Feminist Argues That Abortion Doc Should Be Released, Trial Is a ‘Sham’ — But It’s Not What You Think

There's at least one feminist out there openly arguing against Dr. Kermit Gosnell's murder trial. In an op-ed published today on Live Action News, Kristen Walker Hatten writes, "I say we acquit him," of the now-infamous abortion doctor.

You may already feel your blood boiling at the prospect, but Hatten has some unique stances -- ideas that the pro-choice side of the isle will patently reject. And her call for acquittal likely isn't what you'd expect. At the center of her arguments is the notion that abortion laws often spawn schizophrenic legal ramifications.

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In this March 8, 2010 photo, Dr. Kermit Gosnell is seen during an interview with the Philadelphia Daily News at his attorney's office in Philadelphia. (Photo: Philadelphia Daily News, Yong Kim.)

We'll let the pro-lifer, who embraces a "righteous, virtuous, intelligent and moral" form of feminism (she's a member of New Wave Feminists for Life), explain why she's pushing for a Gosnell acquittal:

There is nothing more disgusting about pulling a baby out and killing her than there is about sticking an instrument into the womb and killing her. Why is it worse if she's a foot away? Is the difference location? Should a few feet of space be the difference between "perfectly legal" and "first degree murder?"

It's preposterous. The whole trial is kind of a sham. Let him go. If it's legal a few feet to the left inside the womb, then why not just let it be legal a few feet to the right outside the womb?

Let him go. You know what, drop the charges. If I were the prosecuting attorney I'd say, "We thought about it, and we decided, y'know, if it's legal over here, then why not let it be legal over there? If it's legal at 24.5 weeks, then what the hell is the difference at 25 weeks? Or 33 weeks? Or a couple days after birth?"

Hatten's point? In her view, there isn't much difference between killing a baby inside of the mother's womb and doing so once the child has been born into the world. She points out that there's such a fine line between when it is and is not legal to terminate a baby's life that the parameters present in the Gosnell case -- and in any abortion scenario, really -- cause a bit of head-scratching.

The activist makes it clear that, in her view, abortionists are murderers, even if they are operating within the bounds of the law. Continuing to pose thought-provoking questions, she goes on to note that Gosnell falls under scrutiny for running a purportedly dirty clinic -- one that has been described by prosecutors as a "house of horrors." But Hatten asks, "Are we saying it's okay to kill babies if you use clean instruments and don't accidentally perforate the uterus?"

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Photo Credit: AP

Part of the issue she sees with the current Gosnell case is that "pro-abortion" people are condemning the doctor only because he "makes them look bad." If they were truly concerned with the charges against him, she essentially argues that they would have grander problems with the abortions that take place on a daily basis in America -- and not only the crimes Gosnell is accused of committing.

"I want Kermit Gosnell walking the streets. I want him free because there is nothing he did that is incompatible with a pro-abortion ideology," Hatten continues. "I want him to serve as a constant reminder that abortion and infanticide are the same thing, and it was the Supreme Court's idea -- supported by around half of the citizens of this country -- that some doctors are murderers who get to be free citizens."

Read the powerful -- and controversial -- op-ed here.

This article was released as the Gosnell jury continues to deliberate. After the second full day of convening, it seems the jury is most focused on Eileen O'Neill, Gosnell's co-defendant who worked with him at the clinic. O'Neill is accused of practicing without a license and is charged with racketeering and theft by deception for purportedly billing as a doctor, the AP reports. Eight other employees have already pleaded guilty.

There's no word on when the jury will decide on the multitude of charges against Gosnell.

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• Do Heaven, Hell and Ghosts Exist? Author Tackles What He Believes Happens After You Die
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Alaska woman acquitted of murdering husband

PALMER, Alaska (AP) — A jury acquitted an Alaska woman who shot her husband six times as he slept, killing him, after she said the man held her against her will and tortured her for three days.

A Palmer jury on Tuesday found Lisa Donlon not guilty on all counts after several days of deliberations following a four-week trial, according to KTUU-TV (http://is.gd/PomdRg). Donlon was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

She shot her husband, Jason Donlon, once in the head and five times in the back with a .45-caliber handgun while he slept Oct. 7, 2010. The mother of three called 911 to report the shooting.

The defense argued Jason Donlon had been raping and torturing his wife for three days. They say he was keeping her against her will in a cabin or storage shed in Butte, about 40 miles northeast of Anchorage.

Prosecutors argued the killing was non-confrontational, and they said that while medical records showed evidence of scrapes and bruises there was nothing to indicate Lisa Donlon had been tortured.

A grand jury initially declined to indict Donlon but reconsidered after prosecutors presented new evidence.

Her lawyer argued that she was a victim of domestic violence and the shooting was justified.

The Donlons married in South Carolina in 1995, and court papers show trouble in their marriage when they were living in Eagle River in 2006. That year she obtained a restraining order against her husband and doctors documented her injuries.

In a petition for the restraining order, she said he became enraged when she announced she wanted a divorce.

"He packed his things, told the kids 'bye,'" she wrote. "Twenty minutes later he came back with his two loaded guns. He was trying to force me to call the police because he wanted to be shot by police officers so it wouldn't look like a suicide."

She wrote that her husband had pointed a gun to her chest before, had thrown her out of the house with no clothes on — an event she said was witnessed by one of their sons. She also stated that her husband had choked her unconscious.

She said she didn't call police because she was scared.

"I have a feeling that he would use his guns easily, and I don't want to create any situation that would trigger that," she wrote.

Two days after she obtained the restraining order, Jason Donlon, who was a computer technician for the Alaska Army National Guard, filed for divorce, seeking custody of the children.

The couple soon reconciled and were living in a small building behind the home of his mother and stepfather.

Defense Attorney Zachary Renfro said that while Donlon was in jail she had weekly visits from her three sons. He said the next step is to work on a plan to reunite her with her children.

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Information from: KTUU-TV, http://www.ktuu.com

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Bahrain activist acquitted over Twitter post

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — A lawyer in Bahrain says a human rights activist has been acquitted over allegations that he posted false news on Twitter.

Mohammed al-Jishi told The Associated Press on Monday that Yousef al-Muhafedha — acting president of the Bahrain Human Rights Center — was found not guilty of posting inaccurate news about some anti-government protests.

This was the third time a court dismissed cyber-related charges, indicating a possible softening of an Internet crackdown in the Sunni-ruled Gulf nation, which has faced nearly two years on non-stop unrest over demands by majority Shiites for a greater political voice.

Al-Muhafedha was detained for two months before being released on bail in January. He is one of dozens in the Gulf nation who faced charges for posting things on social media.

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Ex-Montana quarterback acquitted of rape

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Jurors deliberated for about two hours Friday before acquitting a former University of Montana quarterback in a rape trial that has played out amid NCAA and federal investigations into how the city and school respond to rape allegations on campus.

Jordan Johnson and his attorney David Paoli both cried after the verdict was announced, and cheers erupted from the area where Johnson's family was sitting in the packed courtroom.

The accusations against Johnson, 20, drew much attention in Montana, where UM football is the top sports attraction. Johnson led the school to a successful 2011 season as starting quarterback before being accused of assaulting a woman while watching a movie with her at her home a year ago.

His case has unfolded against a backdrop of NCAA and federal investigations of the university's athletic department and the manner in which rape allegations are handled on campus, investigated by police and prosecuted by the Missoula County attorney's office.

The situation left some worried that the highly successful football team was out of control off the field.

In closing statements Friday, Assistant Attorney General Joel Thompson told jurors that the accuser "has had to crawl through a proverbial tunnel of sewage" to see the case through to trial because she wanted accountability, the Missoulian reported. He said the alleged rape was a malicious assault that resulted in psychological damage.

The woman testified that she and Johnson were kissing last February when his demeanor changed and he held her down and raped her, despite her protests.

Witnesses testified that she was pale and shaking, and that she cried uncontrollably after driving Johnson back to his house. She had an immediate reaction to what happened, Thompson said.

Johnson told jurors the sex was consensual and the woman enjoyed it. He testified that she asked him if he had a condom and when he said he didn't, she told him that was OK. He said she never said "no" and he would have stopped if she had.

After the verdict was read, Johnson hugged his attorneys and then his large group of supporters. Asked for comment, Paoli said: "Feel wonderful. Very happy."

Those in attendance Friday included Montana football players, coach Mick Delaney and former athletic director Jim O'Day.

Johnson, who is from the Eugene, Ore., area, was briefly suspended from the football team when the allegations surfaced. He was later kicked off under the school's student-athlete conduct code after the felony charge was filed in July. He has remained in school.

UM athletic director Kent Haslam said Friday student-athletes can appeal their suspensions if there is a change in the circumstances that led to the suspension. Johnson's acquittal would qualify as such a change.

Haslam said he has not talked with Johnson about whether he would file an appeal.

Johnson's trial began with jury selection Feb. 8. District Judge Karen Townsend initially called 400 potential jurors for the high-profile case, eventually seating 12 with five alternates.

Concerns about the handling of sexual assault cases peaked in December 2011, when UM President Royce Engstrom ordered an outside investigation after two students reported being drugged and raped.

Former Supreme Court Justice Diane Barz later said her investigation found nine alleged rapes or sexual assaults involving students had occurred between September 2010 and December 2011, including at least two that hadn't been reported. One led to former Montana football player Beau Donaldson pleading guilty to rape and being sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Engstrom said in January the investigation "indicated an association with patterns of behavior from a small number of student-athletes."

"We will not tolerate the tarnishing of the proud tradition of Grizzly athletics," he said at the time.

Barz suggested training faculty and staff on how to handle and report sexual assault allegations and rewriting student and student-athlete conduct codes.

Just weeks later, the university came under more criticism after the dean of students notified a Saudi national about sexual assault and rape allegations made against him. The student fled the country before the alleged victims could file a police report.

Johnson's case surfaced March 9, when the female student obtained a temporary restraining order against him. He was briefly suspended from the football team then reinstated when a civil no-contact order replaced the restraining order.

Three days after coach Robin Pflugrad welcomed Johnson back, and touted the "character and tremendous moral fiber," of the player he had known since Johnson was a young boy, Engstrom announced he was not renewing the contracts of the coach and athletic director Jim O'Day. Both were immediately relieved of their duties, without an explanation from Engstrom.

The move came after a season when Montana advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision semifinal game. The Grizzlies have advanced to the national title game seven times since 1995, winning twice

Last April, the federal Department of Education announced it was investigating a complaint alleging the university discriminated against female students, faculty and staff by failing to address a sexually hostile environmental caused by its failure to appropriately respond to reports of sexual assault.

Soon after, the U.S. Justice Department announced its investigation into the handling of rape investigations and prosecutions, and the school announced in May the NCAA had been investigating its athletic programs since January 2012 for undisclosed reasons. Those investigations continue.

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Oregon hunter acquitted of shooting death

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon hunter has been found not guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of a Marine reservist from California he says he mistook for a bear.

The Statesman Journal newspaper reports (http://is.gd/kQ9jS9 ) the Salem jury deliberated for about two hours Friday before acquitting Eugene Collier.

The 68-year-old was the last witness to take the stand.

He told jurors he was shooting to kill when he fired the .270-caliber bullet that caused the death of 20-year-old Christopher Ochoa, of French Camp, Calif., in October 2011 near Silver Falls State Park.

Collier was hunting with his 12-year-old grandson and says he thought he was shooting a bear

He and his wife met with members of Ochoa's family privately after the trial ended. Neither family spoke with the media after the verdict.

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Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com

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Hunter acquitted of killing man mistaken for bear

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon hunter has been found not guilty of manslaughter in the shooting death of a Marine reservist from California he says he mistook for a bear.

The Salem jury deliberated for about two hours Friday before acquitting Eugene Collier, The Statesman Journal newspaper reported (http://is.gd/kQ9jS9 ).

Collier, 68, was the last witness to take the stand. He told jurors he was shooting to kill when he fired the .270-caliber bullet that caused the death of Christopher Ochoa, 20, of French Camp, Calif., in October 2011 near Silver Falls State Park.

Collier was hunting with his 12-year-old grandson and said he was sure he was shooting a bear

"I made a terrible mistake. It was a tragic accident, I didn't mean for it to happen," Collier said. "I'm terribly sorry."

He and his wife met with members of Ochoa's family privately after the trial ended. Neither family spoke with the media after the verdict.

Collier testified Friday he was about 100 yards from his target when he realized he had shot a human.

"I froze," he recalled. "I thought the only person up there was my grandson. Then I realized he wasn't dressed like that."

His grandson heard the shot from his hunting stand and came running,

"Danny came, I said, 'I shot somebody. We got to go get help,'" Collier said.

Prosecutor Tiffany Underwood asked Collier why he had taken Vicodin pain killer before his blood was tested by Marion County sheriff's officials responding to the scene. Collier said he told a deputy about the prescription for a recent knee surgery and thought it would be OK to take when his knee started aching.

Underwood also asked Collier about his 60 years of hunting experience.

"How often do you hit your target?" she asked.

"I will usually make sure I've got a good kill shot," he replied.

During her closing argument, Underwood suggested that Collier was aware of a risk and disregarded it.

"A reasonable person would look at something for longer than two or three seconds before firing at it," she said. "If defendant had looked at Christopher Ochoa for longer than two or three seconds, we might not be here."

But Collier's attorney, Jeff Jones, told jurors the evidence pointed to a tragic accident.

"Sometimes bad things happen to good people when accidents happen," he said.

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Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com

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