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December 30, 2011 10:11 AM

Abortion doctorscharged with murder inMd.

(CBS/AP) ELKTON, Md. — Twodoctors accused of performing late-term abortions in Maryland, includingone in which a woman was criticallyinjured, have been arrested andcharged with murder.

Dr. Steven Brigham, of Voorhees, N.J.,was arrested Wednesday night in New Jersey and was being held in the Camden

County Jail on Thursday, police told The Cecil Whig newspaper. Authorities alsoarrested Dr. Nicola Irene Riley, of Salt Lake City, Utah, on Wednesday night. Riley wasbeing held in the Salt Lake City Jail. Both are awaiting an extradition hearing.

Investigators with the Elkton Police Department say they asked police in New Jerseyand Utah to arrest the doctors after a Cecil County grand jury handed up indictmentsagainst Brigham and Riley earlier Wednesday, capping a 16-month-long investigation.

Police say they began their investigation in August 2010 after a botched procedure atBrigham's Elkton clinic. Authorities say an 18-year-old woman who was 21 weekspregnant had her uterus ruptured and her bowel injured, and rather than call 911,

Brigham and his colleague Dr. Nicola Riley drove the woman to a nearby hospital,where both were uncooperative and Brigham refused to give his name.

That incident resulted in the murder case against Riley and three of the 11 murdercharges against Brigham, prosecutors said. The other charges against Brigham relateto four other illegal abortions he performed at the East High Street Clinic, prosecutorsadded.

A search of the Elkton clinic after the botched abortion revealed a freezer with 35 late-term fetuses inside, including one believed to have been aborted at 36 weeks.

Brigham started the late-term abortions in New Jersey, where he wasn't permitted toperform them, and nished them a day later in Maryland, where the law is morepermissive, authorities said.

Police say Brigham faces ve counts each of rst- and second-degree murder. Riley ischarged with one count each of rst- and second-degree murder. Brigham and Rileyeach also face one count of conspiracy to commit rst-degree murder.

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Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57350176/abortion-doctors-charged-with-murder-in-md/?tag=strip

Abortion doctors charged with murder after 35 lateterm aborted fetuses found stashed in freezer By DAILY MAIL REPORTERLast updated at 5:26 PM on 30th December 2011

Two doctors accused of performing late-term abortions in Maryland havebeen arrested and charged with murder after police found a freezer full of 20-35 week fetuses.

The investigation of the doctors started over a year ago when theyallegedly botched an abortion on an 18-year-old girl, leaving her with aruptured uterus.

Though licensed in other states and never licensed in Maryland, Dr. StevenBrigham, 55, and Dr. Nicola Irene Riley, 46, ran a clinic in Elkton just near the Delaware border.

Charged: Doctors Steven Brigham and Nicola Riley have been arrested after a 16-monthinvestigation into their underground late-term abortion practice

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Investigators with the Elkton Police Department say they asked police inNew Jersey and Utah to arrest the doctors after a Cecil County grand juryhanded up indictments against Brigham and Riley earlier Wednesday,capping a 16-month-long investigation.

Police say they began their investigation on in August 2010 after the duosupposedly dropped the patient off whose abortion they botched, leavingher at a nearby hospital.

Authorities say an 18-year-old woman who was 21 weeks pregnant had her uterus ruptured and her bowel injured, and rather than call 911, Brighamand Riley drove the woman to a nearby hospital, where both wereuncooperative and Brigham refused to give his name.

During the ensuing investigation, police found a freezer at the Elton clinicwith 35 late-term fetuses inside.

Looks better than it was: Inside the American Women's Services office, police found a freezer full of 35 fetuses aborted late term

Some of these fetuses are believed to have been aborted at 35 weeks,which is nearly the standard length of a full-term pregnancy.

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Though Maryland is one of the most-lax states when it comes to abortionlaw, the discovery of 20-35 week fetuses is particularly gruesome. Bycomp arison, the state's Planned Parenthood facilities are not licensed toperform abortions past the 19th week of the term.

Brigham started the late-term abortions in New Jersey, where he wasn'tpe rmitted to pe rform them past 14 weeks, and finished them a day later inMaryland, where the law is more permissive, authorities said.

As a result, Brigham faces five counts of first degree murder, five counts of second degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit murder.Riley has a lesser charge of one count of first degree murder, seconddegree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080394/Abortion-doctors-charged-murder-late-term-aborted-35-fetuses-stashed-freezer.html#ixzz1i2ddibmz

Doctors in botched Elkton abortion caseface murder chargesOfficials say physicians involved in procedure that critically hurt N.J.teen; suspects being held in Utah, New Jersey

By Peter Hermann , The Baltimore Sun12:23 p.m. EST, December 30, 2011

Two doctors who Maryland authorities say botched a teenager's abortion last year inElkton have been indicted on murder charges and are awaiting extradition from NewJersey and Utah, where they were arrested this week.

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Steven Chase Brigham, 55, of Voorhees, N.J., and Nicola Irene Riley, 46, of Salt LakeCity, Utah, had been ordered to stop practicing medicine by the Maryland Board of Physicians in September 2010, a month after officials said an operation at the Elktonclinic went awry.

An attorney for Birgham did not return calls seeking comment. Riley's lawyer, SharonKrevor-Weisbaum, said Friday that "we believe the charges are without legal merit." Shealso objected to her client behind held without bail in Utah.

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But Krevor-Weisbaum said she could not comment further because she has not beenable to read the indictment. It remains under seal in Cecil County Circuit Court untilRiley is formally arraigned in Maryland. The attorney would not say whether Riley wouldfight extradition to Maryland.

In the Elkton case, which police said forms the basis for most of the criminal chargesfiled this week, an 18-year-old woman from New Jersey suffered a ruptured uterus andother internal injuries during a procedure at the American Woman's Services clinic onEast High Street in Elkton.

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The physicians board found that the woman, who was 21 weeks pregnant , had initiallybeen treated in Voorhees, N.J., where her cervix was dilated. The woman was then toldto travel, in her own car, to El kton so doctors could complete the procedure.

After the woman suffered a ruptured uterus, state officials said Riley put the patient inBrigham's rented Chevrolet Malibu and drove her Union Hospital in Elkton. The boardsaid she sat in slumped in a wheelchair, nearly unconscious, outside the emergencyroom, while Riley argued with hospital staff, demanding their identities before treatingthe woman.

The woman was flown that day to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for moretreatment. State officials said Riley then returned to his clinic in Elkton to performanother abortion. The injured woman survived.

Maryland's abortion law, which is less restrictive than in nearby states, may explain whythe proced ure was initiated elsewhere and completed in Elkton. In other states, later abortions must be performed at a surgical center or hospital rather than at a doctor's

office. In New Jersey, pregnancies after 14 weeks cannot be ended at doctors' office s.After this case, the state Health Department proposed regulations to increaseoversight of surgical abortion clinics . The standards are open for public comment.

Elkton police said they searched the clinic on East High Street but could not locatedmedical records for the woman. But police said they found 35 later-term fetuses, some20 to 35 weeks old, in a freezer. The Philadelphia Inquirer has reported that Brigham'sfour New Jersey clinics cannot perform abortions after the first trimester — 14 weeks of pregnancy — because they did not meet safety standards.

Another doctor at the clinic, George She pard Jr., 88, also had his Maryland licensesuspended by the Board of Physicians, but h e has not been charged with a crime . Stateauthorities said Brigham ran a string of clinics in several states, including Pennsylvaniaand New York. His Maryland clinics were located in Elkton, Baltimore, College Park ,Frederick and Cheverly.

Both doctors who have been charged have previously lost their licenses to practicemedicine or run clinics in several states, including New York and Pennsylvania.

Brigham faces five counts of first-degree murder, five counts of second-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to co mmit murder. Riley faces o ne count each of first- andsecond-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

Details behind each of the murder counts was not given by Elkton police, who issued anews release on the charges but cited only the case of the 18-year-old woman who wasinjured. It was not immediately clear if the other murder counts related to the other fetuses that police said were found in the clinic's freezer.

peter.hermann@baltsun.com

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Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-md-elkton-abortion-arrests-20111230,0,3963352.story

Link sought between Maryland

abortion case, Florida clinicMurder charges against doctors test Maryland abortion law Tue, Jan 32012Maryland abortion doctors charged with murder Sat, Dec 31 2011

By Jason TomassiniBALTIMORE | Tue Jan 3, 2012 5:29pm EST

(Reuters) - Florida officials on Wednesday wereinvestigating any potential links between a fire at aPensacola abortion clinic and a New Jersey abortiondoctor who has been charged with murder,authorities said.

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The cause of the fire on Sunday at the American Family Planning Inc. clinichas not been determined, said Deborah Cox, a spokeswoman for theFlorida State Fire Marshal.

A mailing address for the clinic listed on the Florida Agency for Health CareAdministration website is 1 Alpha Avenue in Voorhees, New Jersey, thesame address as American Women's Services, which provides abortions atclinics in four Mid-Atlantic states.

American Women's Services is owned by Steven Brigham, a New Jerseydoctor arrested on murder charges on December 28. Brigham is charged inMaryland with five counts of first-degree murder, in what could be the firstcase to test the state's fetal homicide law.

Brigham practiced at American Family Planning Inc. in the 1990s, and his

license in Florida was revoked in 1996, according to the FloridaDepartment of Health website.

The blaze began near the ground level of the building and extended up tothe outside of the attic, said Pensacola Fire Marshal David Allen. No onewas hurt, and Allen estimated damage to the two-story building at $50,000to $75,000.

The FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives areassisting in the investigation, Cox said.

The investigation into Brigham and an employee, Nicola Riley, who ischarged with one count of first-degree murder, began in August 2010following a botched abortion in Elkton, Maryland, where Brigham and Rileywere present, police said.

Officers who searched the Maryland clinic during an ensuing investigationfound 35 fetuses in a freezer, a source said.

Maryland prosecutors have declined to comment on how the murder charges are tied to the botched abortion or the frozen fetuses.

Maryland criminal law states that people can be charged with murder if they"intend to cause the death of the viable fetus." Its state law defines a fetusas "viable" if "there is a reasonable likelihood of the fetus' sustainedsurvival outside the womb."

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Brigham provided abortions to five patients ranging from 18 to 33 weekspregnant, according to a report by the New Jersey State Board of MedicalExaminers.

The report said Brigham started the five late-term abortion cases in hisNew Jersey clinic, giving patients injections that either softened the cervixor caused "fetal demis e." The patients then traveled to Maryland where theabortio ns were completed, the report said.

Brigham co mpleted some hims elf and Riley c ompleted others under Brigham's supervision, the report said. Brigham's New Jersey license wassuspended in October 2010 and he received a cease-and-desist warning inMaryland a month earlier.

Brigham argued to the board that the procedures in New Jersey were only

preliminary to an abortion and that he only consulted doctors at theMaryland clinic.

Brigham's attorney in Maryland, C. Thomas Brown, declined further comment on the case. Florida officials would not comment on a potentiallink between American Family Planning and Brigham. Brigham is awaitingextradition in New Jersey.

Riley appeared on Tuesday in District Court in Salt Lake City, where shewas arrested, her Utah-based lawyer, Edwin Wall, said. A bond hearing willbe held on January 9, when extradition proceedings to Maryland may bedetermined, he said.

Riley is in custody on a no-bond warrant, said her Maryland lawyer, SharonKrevor-Weisbaum, who said the case against Riley holds no merit.

"I can tell you we strongly believe the charges are without legal basis," shesaid.

(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Greg McCune )

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/03/us-crime-abortion-maryland-idUSTRE8021TE20120103

Murder charges against doctors test Maryland abortion lawJan 3, 2012

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Abortion doctors facing murder chargescould be extradited to MarylandHearings for suspects are pending in Utah, New Jersey

Dr. Nicola I. Riley is charged with one

count each of first- an d second-degreemurder in Maryland. ( Salt Lake CountyDistrict Attorney)

• Doctors in botched Elkton abortion face murder charges• Archives: Abortion doctors suspended after woman suffers injury

One of the two abortion doctors indicted in Elkton on murder charges under the state'sfetal homicide law may not fight extradition and could soon be brought from New Jerseyto Maryland, according to the Cecil County State's Attorney.

Dr. Steven Chase Brigham, 55, of Voorhees, N.J., is being held on $3 million bail inCamden County and an arraignment hearing is scheduled there Thursday. He ischarged with five counts of first-degree murder and other charges in Maryland.

Cecil County's top prosecutor, Edward D.E. Rollins, said Tuesday that he believes thedoctor may not contest returning to Maryland based on conversations with the suspect'sdefense attorney. That lawyer, C. Thomas Brown, could not be reached for comment.

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Another doctor charged in the case, Nicola I. Riley, who is being held without bail inUtah, had a brief appearance in Salt Lake County District Court. The hearing is beingcontinued on Jan. 9 to discuss bail. Riley is charged with one count each of first- andsecond-degree murder in Maryland.

Salt Lake County Deputy District Attorney Jeff Hall said prosecutors plan to discuss thecase with counterparts in Cecil County to see how they want to proceed. One option,Hall said, is for all sides to agree on a bail, for Riley to post it and voluntarily return toMaryland to face the charges. Hall said Riley also could waive extradition and be"transported back to Maryland."

Riley could fight extradition but she would have to prove that either the charges filed inMaryland are not valid or that she isn't the person named in the arrest warrant,according to Hall. Neither argumen t deals with the merits of the murder case.

Rollins said he would discuss the issue with prosecutors on Wednesday before

commenting. Riley's attorney, S tuart Simms, a former Baltimore state's attorney, said hehad not yet been briefed by the Utah attorney who handled the case and could notcomment.

The doctors are charged with aborting a late-term fetus that prosecutors and theMaryland Medical Examiner's Office have deemed viable, or showing signs of healthydevelopment, stemming from an abortion that authorities said was botched.

A grand jury indicted Brighman on four additional counts of first-degree murder. Policewho searched the Elkton abortion office said they found nearly three-dozen late termfetuses in a freezer. Details of the case won't be made public until the suspects are

arraigned in Maryland and court files are unsealed.

Peter.hermann@baltsun.com

Source: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/breaking/bs-md-abortion-doctors-murder-20120103,0,5662682.story