Justice Dept. drops request for medical records
The government withdrew a subpoena for abortion records yesterday, Newsday
reports. The government is defending itself against suits that challenge the ban on so-called partial-birth abortions and requested medical records of women who've sought abortions in New York hospitals.
A district court judge ordered the hospitals to comply, but New York Weill Cornell Medical Center refused, and the judge held the hospital in contempt. Last week, an appeals court blocked the contempt charge and agreed to resolve the issue. The government now has withdrawn the request in hopes of circumventing a drawn-out appeals process.