Alabama Department of Health Urged to Permanently Shut Down Illegal Abortion Clinic

Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 11, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- Life Legal Defense Foundation is urging the Alabama Department of Public Health to permanently shut down the unlicensed New Woman, All Women abortion clinic in Birmingham and revoke the medical license of Bruce Norman, who is still performing abortions there in spite of a health department closure of the site. In March of 2012, the Alabama Department of Public Health shut down the clinic and obtained signed consent agreement from all involved parties.

In a March 28, 2013 letter to Brian Hale, Deputy General Counsel at the Alabama Department of Public Health, Allison K. Aranda, Senior Staff Counsel at Life Legal Defense Foundation, outlines the facts of the case for immediate closure:

• Bruce Norman is prohibited from performing any abortions at the Birmingham clinic by previous order of the health department
   
• Because Norman has knowingly been an employee of an unlicensed facility, under state law his license should be revoked, permanently prohibiting him providing any medical services in Alabama.
   
• Clinic owner Diane Derzis was banned from operating the facility.
   
• The clinic was closed by the health department in March of 2012 for numerous cited deficiencies, for which no proof of remedy has been offered.
   
• Derzis has ignored her obligations under the agreement as a business owner and should be enjoined from operating a business in Alabama.
   
• Derzis has maintained the website and voicemail that both advertise that the clinic provides abortions, in defiance of the clinic's forced closure last year.

Life Legal Defense Foundation has requested that the Alabama Department of Public Health enforce its own rules by issuing an emergency administrative order of closure against the illegal clinic. The law provides that Derzis' and Norman's deliberate and perpetual violations are grounds for this illicit facility to be forcibly closed.

Aranda stated, "What is particularly troubling in this matter is Derzis' and Norman's blatant disregard for the law. Derzis and Norman have scoffed at the terms of the consent agreement and persist in putting the lives of women at risk. Further, Derzis has deceived the public into thinking that New Woman All Women is a licensed abortion clinic."

Read Life Legal Defense Foundation's letter to the Alabama Department of Public Health here.

The original 2012 agreement for closure of New Woman, All Women is available upon request.

About Life Legal Defense Foundation
Life Legal Defense Foundation was established in 1989, and is a nonprofit organization composed of attorneys and other concerned citizens, committed to giving helpless and innocent human beings of any age, and their advocates, a trained and committed voice in the courtrooms of our nation. For more information about the Life Legal Defense Foundation, visit www.lldf.org.