Michigan GOP prosecutors are ‘scaring’ abortion patients, Planned Parenthood says

Gretchen Whitmer, Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel, reproductive health groups and physicians emphasize that abortion remains legal in Michigan, some Republican county prosecutors are arguing otherwise. Becker said in a prepared statement issued Monday that he does not “believe it proper for me to simply ignore a law/any law that was passed by the Michigan Legislature and signed by the Governor.” The Kent County prosecutor went on to say that the 1931 law “does not allow for charges to be filed against the woman seeking or getting an abortion” but “only allows for charges to be filed against a doctor performing an abortion.” Jackson County Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka told the Advance on Tuesday that because none of the state’s 83 county prosecutors were involved in the Planned Parenthood case for which the Court of Claims judge issued the injunction that his office still needs to enforce the 1931 law. “Right now, abortion remains safe and legal in Michigan because of a court order temporarily blocking enforcement of the state’s 1931 abortion ban,” Whitmer said in a prepared statement. “But in the wake of the decision … overturning Roe, certain county prosecutors and health providers have expressed confusion about the current legal status of abortion in Michigan.” Whitmer noted in her court filing Monday that confusion around the 1931 law has resulted in health officials issuing mixed messages about abortion, including at the state’s largest health health system, BHSH System. “Safe access to care for all mothers-to-be continues to be available at all Sparrow Health System locations.” While the status of abortion rights in Michigan following Friday’s SCOTUS decision may be causing confusion at some health facilities, Phenicie said that was far from the case at Planned Parenthood.