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Kansas Liberty: 08 January 2009
Departing JoCo DA spent much of this week on witness stands in Sedgwick and Johnson Counties
Kline says he won't take abortion records when he leaves office Monday
Outgoing Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline, after spending part of this week on the witness stand in a criminal proceeding against a Wichita late-term abortionist, returned to the witness stand during a court proceeding Thursday, this time in Johnson County.
At issue Thursday was whether Kline, who leaves office Monday, would take records related to abortions that he collected during an investigation of a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Overland Park, when he moves on from the district attorney’s office.
Kline said under oath he had no plans to take records, which could be useful to his successor, Steve Howe, if Howe decided to continue the prosecution. The prosecution was launched with the approval of a district court.
But Planned Parenthood asked for the hearing after attorneys for the clinic said they feared Kline would take records with him, allegedly for distribution. Kline has never suggested doing such a thing, however. His handling of documents in the case has been under court supervision and the documents were long-ago redacted to remove personal data.
Howe has indicated he will review the case against Planned Parenthood when he takes office to determine if further prosecution is warranted.
The clinic faces 107 criminal counts of allegedly performing late term abortions and manufacturing abortion reports at its Overland Park clinic.
-Phil LaCerte
SRS gives $1.5 million taxpayer money to union