Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site looking.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Dr. Morgentaler acquitted of abortion charges - more proof abortion can't be illegal
Message-ID: <210@looking.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 10-Nov-84 00:00:00 EST
Article-I.D.: looking.210
Posted: Sat Nov 10 00:00:00 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Nov-84 09:58:09 EST
Organization: Looking Glass Software, Waterloo, Ont
Lines: 27

As all those in Canada who follow the abortion debate know, Dr.
Henry Morgentaler was found not guilty Thursday of charges of conspiracy
to procure a miscarriage (the name of the anti-abortion law).  He
was tried by jury.  This is the 4th time the governent has attempted
to prosecute this man and the 4th time he has been acquitted.

For Americans not familiar with Canada (ie. most) abortion is
officially illegal here.  To get an abortion it must be approved by
a board of three doctors who certify the abortion is necessary to the
health of the mother.  It must be done at a hospital.  In practice,
however, this approval is usually quite easy to get and many abortions
are done.  Dr. Morgentaler fought this law by opening abortion clinics
with other doctors in several provinces.  Each time he has been brought
to trial by the government, and each time he has been found not guilty.

He was found not guilty by a jury - and that's no surprise because there's
no way that even a randomly chosen jury would ever agree unanimously that
a crime has been done BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT.  And our system says
that to convict somebody of a crime, a jury must be unanimous and certain.
You would need a stacked right-to-life jury to get any other verdict.

All of which shows that you can't make abortion legal and still have
our legal system.

Congratulations, Dr. Morgentaler!
-- 
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473