The Indiana doctor who gave the 10-year-old Ohio rape victim perfectly legal medical treatment (an abortion) is now under assault by the state's top law enforcement officer. Indiana’s Attorney General, Todd Rokita, said of Dr. Caitlan Bernard,
"We have this abortion activist acting as a doctor with a history of failing to report. So we're gathering the information. We're gathering the evidence as we speak and we're going to fight this to the end, including looking at her licensure, if she failed to report."
Where did he make this news public? A press release from his office? Of course not. You can tell by the hyperbolic and hysterical language that this is not a legal offering. He made it on Fox News.
Let us have a look at his charges. First, he says she has “a history of failing to report”. Really? Has there been a previous investigation? Have charges been filed? Is there a blot on her medical license? He did not say there was — which would have made for ratings on Fox — so I will assume he is just making shit up. This seems to be confirmed by the fact he admits he has no idea if she failed to report.
He calls her an “abortion activist acting as a doctor”. For starters, you are either a doctor or you are not. She is. So she is not “acting”. Second, what is an “abortion activist”? If he means someone that is vocal in her support for choice and a right that women enjoy throughout the industrial world — a right that American women had enjoyed for 49 years — then good for her. Did she march and yell? Fine. That’s her first amendment right.
Rokita should appreciate her rights. After all, he demands his constitutional rights. His campaign manifesto contained this nugget,
"I'm proud of my 'A' rating from the NRA.” And I will "protect our 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms."
And what of the charge of “failure to report”? Is that serious? As serious as murder, armed assault, and rape? Is it even as serious as burglary or petty theft? No. But this publicity hound goes on national TV to accuse Dr. Bernard of “failure to report” a legal medical procedure that was a medical and psychological necessity for a ten-year-old girl.
And it turns out Br. Bernard did not fail to report — on time — as demanded by law.
At first, the conservative culture warriors were sure that reports of a young girl being denied an abortion because she missed the six-week cut-off by three days — and then having to travel interstate to get the procedure — were “too good to be confirmed” And accused horrified Democrats of lying. But now that the reports have been confirmed and an arrest made, not one of this collection of unempathetic sociopaths has apologized.
Certainly, Rokita has not.
And the good doctor's lawyer has slammed him with a “cease and desist” letter demanding that Rokita stop lying and desist from promoting violence,
"Please immediately cease and desist making any false or misleading statements about Dr. Bernard. Your false and defamatory statements to Fox News on July 13, 2022, cast Dr. Bernard in a false light and allege misconduct in her profession.
Even after the release of the TPR through open record requests, confirming Dr. Bernard fully complied with all applicable reporting laws, your subsequent statements to local and national news sources on July 14, 2022, further cast Dr. Bernard in a false light and mislead consumers and patients.
We are especially concerned that, given the controversial political context f the statements, such inflammatory accusations have the potential to incite harassment or violence from the public which could prevent Dr. Bernard, an Indiana licensed physician, from providing care to her patents [sic] safely."
Politics is a sharp-elbowed business. Anyone who decides to make it a career can expect low blows, lies, and insults. But when the person in charge of the criminal justice system in a state starts abusing doctors because he does not like their politics, then they have stepped over the decency line — and possibly over a legal line?
I know that Rokita and his base will not give a damn. But, as there is more crime in Indiana than in 28 other states, I think Indiana taxpayers’ money would be better spent on dealing with real criminals. And Rokita’s time would be better spent doing the job taxpayers pay him to do.