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Illinois Attorney General Appeals Judge’s Ruling That Reduces Abortion Clinic’s Fine from $36,000 to $77

state of illinois vs. womens's aid clinic of lincolnwoodLast month the Pro-Life Action League reported that a judge in Chicago was willing to let the Women’s Aid Clinic abortion facility pay a mere $77 instead of the $36,000 it was fined by the Illinois Department of Public Health in 2011.

The massive fine was assessed in response to a host of serious violations discovered by state inspectors, including failure to perform CPR on 18-year old Antonesha Ross, who died following an abortion in 2009.

Since that time, Women’s Aid Clinic owner Larisa Rozansky filed for bankruptcy (but the case was dismissed), closed out the clinic’s bank account, dissolved the company, changed its name to Women’s Aid Center and moved to a different location — although the “Center” continued to use the same website and phone number, and for a period of time, even processed credit cards via the same Merchant Services account number as the “Clinic.”

When the state came calling to remind Rozansky that paying the $36,000 fine wasn’t optional, her response was that Women’s Aid Clinic “does not exist,” and so the state was out of luck.

In a January court hearing, Rozansky’s attorney, Scott Skaletsky, argued that Women’s Aid Clinic and Women’s Aid Center were two “totally different businesses,” and that when Women’s Aid Clinic closed in March 2012, it had a mere $77 in its bank account.  Skaletsky then told Cook County Judge Alexander White that Rozansky would be willing to write a check to the state for $77 to “make this go away.”

Unbelievably, Judge White actually bought that argument.  In response, the Pro-Life Action League asked Illinois residents to take action by calling the office of State Attorney General Lisa Madigan and urging her to appeal the judge’s ruling.

We’re now pleased to report that the Illinois Attorney General’s office has appealed [PDF] the judge’s ruling, meaning that the AG’s office will keep pushing to collect more money.

There will certainly be more to this story.  Watch this space for developments.

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