Sep 17, 2007 7:33 pm US/Central
Judge Puts Planned Parenthood Site Opening On Hold
CBS 2's Mike Puccinelli and the Aurora Beacon-News contributed to this report.
AURORA (CBS) ―
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The Aurora Planned Parenthood has been forced to delay its opening.
CBS
Planned Parenthood's Aurora center will not open on Tuesday as legal wrangling continues. A federal judge Monday set another hearing for Thursday to address issues by both sides in an ongoing lawsuit.
As CBS 2 West Suburban Bureau Chief Mike Puccinelli reports, anti-abortion activists have been marching for 39 days outside the Aurora building where Planned Parenthood was expected to begin offering reproductive health services beginning Sept. 18.
"I'm offering prayers that this clinic won't open," said anti-abortion activist Sylvia Keppel.
The marchers learned Monday they will be praying and walking for at least a few more days after a judge delayed his ruling.
U.S. District Judge Charles Norgle Sr. on Monday refused to grant Aurora's motion to dismiss a Planned Parenthood lawsuit, which sought an injunction to prevent the city from blocking the clinic's opening.
Both sides will be back in court Thursday. Norgle granted the city 24-hours to respond to Planned Parenthood's preliminary injunction request and gave Planned Parent an additional 24-hours to respond to the city's filing.
Both sides claimed victory.
Planned Parenthood President and CEO Steve Trombley counted the judge's ruling as a victory for Planned Parenthood saying that it is clear the judge took the issue seriously.
But Eric Scheidler, communications director for the Pro-Life Action League, called the ruling a victory for anti-abortion activists who have been praying that the health center would not open on Tuesday as planned.
Planned Parenthood's lawsuit was the latest action to open its women's health facility in Aurora. The City of Aurora hired attorney Phillip Leutkehans to conduct an independent investigation into the approval process for Planned Parenthood's new facility on East New York Street, and city officials have said they will not issue a permanent occupancy permit until the investigation is completed. Planned Parenthood's temporary occupancy permit expired Monday.
Some have accused Planned Parenthood of deception for seeking city approval under the name Gemini Office Development last year. The true nature of the facility was revealed last month, and plans to perform abortions at the clinic have stirred up controversy.
"They claimed not to know who their tenant was when directly asked by Linda Elmore one of our aldermen," Scheidler said. "And we believe this to be fraudulent and we believe this to be lies."
"Planned Parenthood was completely upfront with Aurora officials and answered every question asked to us by the city in a truthful and factual manner," Trombley said.
Aurora officials say their independent review of the case should be completed in four to seven days. They say they will not issue a final permit before then unless compelled to do so by a judge.
(CBS 2, the Naperville Sun and the Aurora Beacon-News are news partners covering stories in the western suburbs of Chicago.)
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