By Dave Andrusko
Abortionist Steven Brigham
Star-Ledger Photo | TONY KURDZU
Of all the abortionists we’ve written about over the decades, none has been more penalized than Steven Brigham and yet he continues to practice and/or own abortion clinics in several states.
One of the many places Brigham has lost his license to practice medicine in is New Jersey. The Cherry Hill Courier-Post reported Monday that “An appeals court on Friday upheld a license revocation for Steven C. Brigham, finding he engaged in ‘gross negligence’ while providing late term-abortions to almost 250 women between September 2009 and August 2010.”
But true to form, this particular chapter is not necessarily closed. Brigham’s lawyer, Joseph Gorrell, told reporter Jim Walsh “We are, of course, deeply disappointed by the decision, as we believe the board’s order of revocation was contrary to law and a miscarriage of justice.” On cue, Gorrell added, “We are exploring all options as to future actions.”
As NRL News Today has reported on many, many occasions [for example here and here ], Brigham would begin his late-term abortions at his South Jersey medical offices (which were not licensed or equipped to perform these late-term abortions) but complete the abortion one or two days later at an Elkton, Maryland, “surgical center.” One 18-year-old woman, 21½ weeks pregnant, almost died.
Brigham had no New Jersey medical license. The Board of Medical Examiners revoked his license for “gross negligence, deception and official misconduct,” reported Susan K. Livio of the Star-Ledger, ordered him to divest himself of his abortion clinics in New Jersey.
There was also “ample evidence” that Brigham had practiced medicine without a license in Maryland, the three-judge panel found. That arrangement is even more complicated.
In short, Gorrell argued that although Brigham did not have a license to practice medicine in Maryland, he had been consulting at the Elkton abortion clinic, which is allowed under Maryland law. They had maintained that the clinic was run by George Shepard, a licensed OB/GYN, hired by Brigham. Shepard was in his eighties partially disabled by a stroke, and had never performed a late-term abortion.
As we previously reported Jeri Warhaftig, who was then deputy attorney general of New Jersey and had tangled with Brigham before, said Brigham was in charge and Shepherd was “just shoe-horned into the process. His presence was clearly not necessary.”
This is just the latest in an endless series of court cases and appearances before state medical boards. As Marie McCullough of the Philadelphia Inquirer has written, Brigham has a 28-year track record of “trouble with medical boards, regulators, the IRS, landlords, creditors, and criminal prosecutors.”