For Immediate Release

The State of Abortion Rights on Roe V. Wade Day 2001

Trial of Florida Abortion Doctor Reveals Conspiracy
Between Anti-Abortion Government Officials and Church Leaders

Contact Information:
Right To Fight Defense Committee for Dr. James Pendergraft
Phone: 301-788-6252
Website: http://www.righttofight.org

On January 22, 2001, Roe v. Wade Day, supporters of women's rights are bringing attention to the case of Dr. James Pendergraft, a high profile abortion provider, who is currently on trial in Ocala, Florida for Federal conspiracy extortion charges. If he is convicted, he could face 30 years in jail and $750,000 in fines. Supporters include National Organization for Women, Refuse & Resist!, National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League,NY, Medical Students for Choice, California Reproductive Rights Action League, National Abortion Federation, Center for Reproductive Law and Policy, Right to Fight and thousands of individuals around the country including Gloria Steinem, Emily Lyons (nurse severely injured in Birmingham abortion clinic bombing), David Gunn, Jr (son of Dr. David Gunn, abortion provider murdered by anti-abortionist, Pensacola, FL.), and Marcia Gillespie, editor of MS magazine.

Although, the attacks on abortion providers around the country have left them a dying breed, the trial of Dr. Pendergraft is unprecedented on many levels. It is the first time that an abortion doctor has been charged with Federal extortion for trying to protect his patients and employees, and for responding to threats from an anti-abortion community, by threatening to sue (extortion indictment).

At a time of intense apprehension about how much power government officials and churches will use to pursue their religious interests (ie: the appointment of John Ashcroft as Attorney General), the trial of Dr. James Pendergraft confirms this concern is very real. The trial has so far revealed anti-abortion government officials working in unison with their churches leaders, to use their positions of power to attempt to rid Marion County of the only abortion provider in the city of Ocala. One observer watching the courtroom proceedings echoed what many agree, "It appears that the crime of conspiracy is on the other side."

• The pro-life Chairman of the Marion County Commision, Larry Cretul sent a letter from the Board of County Commissioners to Dr. Pendergraft asking him in effect not to come to Ocala. He said on the stand, "I serve two purposes and sometimes it's difficult to separate personal feelings from positions as commissioner".

• FBI agent, Pam Piersante admits that after a prolonged investigation a crime was not found. Then they enlisted, County attorney Bill Virgil Wright, to set up a fake settlement conference to try once again to entrap Dr. Pendergraft.

• Both Mr. Cretul and Mr. Wright belong to the First Baptist Church of Ocala, whose pastor, Reverend Edward Johnson, wrote a letter to Dr. Pendergraft stating that he and his congregation of 4,500 followers would use every legal means to keep Dr. Pendergraft from coming to Ocala. On the stand, Chairman Cretul calls Reverend Johnson his friend and spiritual leader. Mr. Cretul also admits to disclosing the secret FBI investigation to Reverend Johnson in confidence.

• The prosecuting attorney, Mark Deveraux, who has allegedly referred to Dr. Pendergraft as a "headcrusher" was also allegedly involved in mimicking Dr. Pendergraft's accent in a racially derogatory manner.

• FBI agent, Pam Piersante, admits to belonging to Oueen of Peace Catholic Church, a church that actively pickets Dr. Pendergraft's clinic. She also admits to not supervising tape recordings made by County Commissioner Chairman Larry Cretul.

As Terry Smith from Right to Fight Defense Committee said, "The trial scheduled to resume January 22, 2001, is a fitting day to reveal that even though Roe v. Wade still stands as the law of the land, the attempt by the government to remove providers with bogus charges is nothing less than a back door attempt at gutting Roe v. Wade. Because without providers there is no choice!"

[posted 1/21/01]

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