A Ohio magistrate has ordered the closure of an abortion clinic held by a doctor known for popularizing partial birth abortions. Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Magistrate Michael Bachman ruled to close the doors of the Lebanon Road Surgery Center run by infamous abortionist Martin Haskell. Bachman ordered the closure of the clinic due to the facility’s failure to meet state medical standards.
Following arguments on Lebanon Road Surgery Center vs. State of Ohio Department of Health last month, on July 10, Bachman ordered to close the doors of the clinic by the end of business day, but despite the magistrate’s decision, the clinic remains open until the decision is signed by a judge.
“As decided June 30th, Magistrate Bachman has upheld the ODH’s order that Martin Haskell’s Women’s Med Center (Lebanon Road Surgery Center) abortion facility in Sharonville, Ohio be denied a license and closed for operating outside the law,” Right to Life of Cincinnati told LifeNews.
Haskell, a notorious abortionist and owner of the Lebanon Road Surgery Center, has performed abortions for over 30 years. Haskell is credited for making partial-birth abortions popular– a practice that is now banned by the government. In January, the Ohio Department of Health, rescinded Haskell’s clinic license. The department of health also ordered the clinic’s closure, to which Haskell appealed in court.
“There is a history of problems with this particular ambulatory surgery facility and operator,” an Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman noted earlier this year. “The agency no longer has confidence that this ambulatory surgery facility will take necessary steps to operate in accordance with regulations.”
Lebanon Road Surgery Center was unable to obtain a transfer agreement with a full-service private hospital or a variance as required under Ohio law. The state mandates abortion clinics to have a transfer agreement with a hospital in case of abortion procedure complications. If an abortion clinic cannot obtain a transfer agreement, it can apply for a variance.
Lebanon Road Surgery Center will be the sixth abortion mill to close under the administration of Ohio Governor John Kasich if Judge Jerome Metz, Jr. sign’s Bachman’s order. Metz notes that he needs time to review the case and should issue a decision by next month.
