MD charges 2 MDs with killing unborn babies

Meet Dr. Nicola Riley, currently a resident of the Salt Lake County (UT) jail. Dr. Riley allegedly assisted Dr. Steven Brigham in performing late-term abortions, at Brigham's clinic in Elkton, near the MD-DE border.

A botched abortion in 2010 led regulators to order Brigham to stop practicing medicine in Maryland without a licence, and Riley's Maryland licence was suspended. Brigham's New Jersey licence was also suspended, leaving him without a valid license in any state, and New Jersey authorities are pursuing revocation of his licence there.

This is what authorities say happened in 2010. An 18-year-old woman who was 21 weeks pregnant suffered a ruptured uterus and an injured bowel. According to medical regulators, Dr. Riley, rather than calling 911, drove the mother to a nearby hospital, where both Riley and Brigham were uncooperative and Brigham refused to give his name.

Documents filed in connection with the suspension of the good doctors' licences go on to say that a search of the clinic after the botched abortion revealed a freezer containing 35 late-term fetuses, including one believed to have been aborted at 36 weeks.

Brigham, 55, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder, five counts of second-degree murder and one count of conspiracy. Riley, 46, faces one count each of first- and second-degree murder and one conspiracy count. The charges relate to the botched procedure as well as other abortions performed at the Elkton abortuary or fetuses found there, authorities said.

A spokesthingy for the Center for Reproductive Rights, a group of pro-abortion advocates, told Associated Press (on whose report this post is based) that she was not aware of any cases in the USA in which an abortionist had been charged with murder in the death of a fetus.

Of course there's the case of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, charged with murder in the deaths of seven babies. But, as reported here two months ago, those babies were alive -- just delivered -- when they were killed. So that makes it OK, according to the "pro-choice" gang.

Pro-life activists hailed the arrests of Brigham and Riley. Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, said "These two individuals are now where they belong and should be in jail for the rest of their lives. Even those who believe abortion should be legal can join with us to stop the out-of-control practices of people like Brigham and Riley."