Family Planning Advocates Welcomes Swift Justice in Scott Roeder Murder Trial in Kansas

ALBANY, NY (01/29/2010)(readMedia)-- While the prochoice community continues to mourn the loss of Dr. George Tiller of Kansas, FPA is relieved that swift justice has been served in the first-degree murder conviction of Scott Roeder today. In just 37 minutes, the jury affirmed Roeder's guilt in the shooting death of Dr. Tiller last May.

In 2009, New York State lawmakers took a very clear position that New York does not stand for violence against this state's reproductive health care community. FPA worked with Assemblyman Sam Hoyt (D-Grand Island) on his introduction of The Protections for Reproductive Health Care Act, which was expediently passed and signed into law by Gov. Paterson. The law enhances penalties for anyone who causes injury to reproductive health care providers, staff, volunteers or patients in the course of violating New York's clinic access law.

"Today's conviction reinforces the strongly held American value that violence is never the solution to our differences," said Family Planning Advocates President and CEO M. Tracey Brooks.