Date:
Thursday, November 13, 2014
by Cheryl Sullenger | LifeNews.com | 11/12/14 2:23 PM
Federal Court Judge Timothy Black, who formally served on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood
in Cincinnati, has been appointed to hear a suit brought by that same abortion facility challenging Ohio’s
law that requires abortion clinic to maintain hospital transfer agreements.
“We are calling on Judge Black to recuse himself from this case because of his prior involvement as a
Planned Parenthood board member and president. It is wrong for him to sit in judgment of a case brought
by an organization with which he has been so deeply involved,” said Operation Rescue President Troy
Newman.
Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati has published a
questionnaire completed by Judge Black that was submitted
upon his nomination bu Pres. Barack Obama to the Federal
bench that identifies his involvement with Planned
Parenthood. On page three, the questionnaire states that
Black served from 1986-1989 as a Director of Planned
Parenthood Association of Cincinnati, which later morphed
into Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Region. In 1988,
Black served as president of the organization’s Board of
Directors.
On Monday, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio Region
brought suit against Ohio Department of Health Director
Richard Hodges and local hospitals challenging a provision of
Ohio’s abortion facility licensing law that requires abortion
clinics to maintain local hospital transfer agreements.
Planned Parenthood had previously been operating under an exemption to the law in the form of a
variance to the hospital transfer agreement provision. However, the Department of Health did not approved
its variance renewal application filed in May 2014, that named two doctors with long histories of malpractice
and other problems as the physicians responsible to treat Planned Parenthood’s abortion patients that
suffered abortion complications requiring hospitalization. The request for variance was amended on July
30 by Planned Parenthood to replace a third physician.
On October 14, 2014, the Department of Health sent Planned Parenthood a letter noting that it did not
meet the requirements for licensing under Ohio law and informed the abortion facility of its intent to deny
licensure, which would have forced Planned Parenthood to shut down their Cincinnati clinic. This prompted
Planned Parenthood to sue.
On Planned Parenthood’s variance application, it listed Cincinnati Obstetrician and Gynecologists David
Schwartz and Michael Drasnik.
Schwartz was honored just days ago at a November 1,
2014, Planned Parenthood Gala as its Diamond Award
winner. However, Schwartz has a shocking history of
numerous negligence and malpractice cases dating back
years, documentation of which is available on
AbortionDocs.org. Injuries to women listed in the cases
included botched delivery that resulted in an emergency
hysterectomy to save the patient’s life.
Draznik’s background is even worse. His malpractice cases
involve several botched laparoscopic surgeries that
perforated other internal organs resulting in life-threatening conditions to his patients. One woman
“crashed” as the result of an undetected bowl perforation and nearly died.
Draznik also has a criminal background involving domestic violence and criminal disorderly conduct.
Documents substantiating his legal woes are also available at AbortionDocs.org.
“Reading over Schwartz and Draznik’s extensive malpractice and criminal documents, it is obvious that the
Ohio Department of Health was exercising good judgment in rejecting Planned Parenthood’s variance
request and ordering them to comply with state licensing requirements as written,” said Newman. “This
lawsuit is a desperate measure to keep their income cash cow open and aborting, without respect to the
health and safety of women they purport to serve, who are left in the lurch should abortion complications
arise. This case is just too important to allow a Planned Parenthood crony to sit in judgment. We demand
Judge Black’s recusal and urge the appointment of a judge that can rule fairly and without bias.”
Operation Rescue urges the public to contact Judge Black’s office and respectfully leave a message for
him through his courtroom deputy demanding his recusal from Planned Parenthood v. Hodges in the
interest of justice.
Office of Judge Timothy Black
Courtroom Deputy Mary Rogers
Voice: (513) 564-7640
E-Mail: Mary_Rogers@ohsd.uscourts.gov