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I shot US abortion doctor to protect children, Scott Roeder tells court
Guardian ^ | 28 January 2010 | Ed Pilkington

Posted on 01/28/2010 12:16:12 PM PST by Ben Mugged

A self-proclaimed born-again Christian who believes all abortions are a sin told his trial for murder today that he shot dead an abortion doctor in Wichita, Kansas, to protect unborn children.

Scott Roeder said he had bought a .22-calibre Taurus gun and ammunition on 30 May 2009, the day before he shot George Tiller, and practised target shooting with his brother. Then he checked into a motel in Wichita, and the next day followed Tiller to the church in the town where the doctor was an usher.

His defence lawyer asked: "Did you go and shoot Dr Tiller?"

Roeder replied: "Yes."

His confession is part of his defence that he felt forced to kill in order to save the lives of unborn children. He has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

It is the first time in US legal history that a violent anti-abortionist has been allowed to present the jury with his justification for murder.

The judge in the case, Warren Wilbert, caused dismay among pro-abortionists and doctors this month when he ruled that Roeder would be allowed to present his justification to the court. Wilbert will decide later in the trial in Kansas whether the jury will be permitted to find the defendant guilty of the lesser crime of manslaughter.

Tiller was killed in the Reformation Lutheran church with one shot to the head. He had long been a target for anti-abortionists as he was one of few doctors prepared to perform legal late abortions, after 21 weeks of gestation.

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Kansas
KEYWORDS: 2savelives; abortion; abortionists; babykillerkilled; churchshooting; doctrineofnecessity; justifiablehomicide; justwar; killedbabykiller; necessitydefense; selfdefense; tiller; wichita
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To: Ben Mugged
One is sworn to uphold “the law” when one serves on a jury, however, one is obliged to find a “higher law” superseding “man's law” and find “not guilty” of murder but a justified killing in defense of the life of another.
21 posted on 01/28/2010 12:26:49 PM PST by zerosix (A)
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To: Invincibly Ignorant

I’m Pro Life and do not believe in murdering abortion doctors.

And once Abortion becomes illegal in all 50 states, not only should doctors who perform abortions be locked-up for life, but also the women who have abortions and the people who conspire with these women to kill their unborn babies should be locked up for life.

Again, I am Pro Life.


22 posted on 01/28/2010 12:26:57 PM PST by trumandogz (The Democrats are driving us to Socialism at 100 MPH -The GOP is driving us to Socialism at 97.5 MPH)
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To: Ben Mugged
Well the Lefty's and Atheists have Killed 40 Million and replaced them with Third worlders !! Aside from the continuing Mass Murder..
23 posted on 01/28/2010 12:28:46 PM PST by Cheetahcat (Zero the Wright kind of Racist! We are in a state of War with Democrats)
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To: OldDeckHand

Sounds like a good argument...for the defense at Nuremberg.


24 posted on 01/28/2010 12:29:04 PM PST by LearsFool ("Thou shouldst not have been old, till thou hadst been wise.")
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To: Anti-Utopian
If you really think what you did was right despite the law, you would stop trying to weasel-out and would go to prison like a man.

Weasel out? He told the court plainly exactly what he did and why he did it. Weasels don't do that. They blame others. Like President Obama in his speech last night. There's your weasel.

And if the man of convictions believe the law is unjust, such that he will take action in contravention of it for the cause of justice, why on earth would he be willing to be judged by the unjust law? A sensible man would protest it with vigor, and leave his fate in God's hands.

25 posted on 01/28/2010 12:29:11 PM PST by the invisib1e hand (governance is not sovereignty [paraphrasing Bishop Fulton Sheen].)
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To: Ben Mugged
Abortion is the planned murder of the most helpless.
The “humans” who feel it is okay show their hatred
of humanity and their self hatred.
26 posted on 01/28/2010 12:29:13 PM PST by HuntsvilleTxVeteran ((B.?) Hussein (Obama?Soetoro?Dunham?) Change America Will Die From.)
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To: OldDeckHand
When slavery was the law of the land, many chose to help runaway slaves escape their bondage. It was an unjust law just as late term abortion is an unjust law. In the face of such radical injustice there comes a point where men must take a stand.
27 posted on 01/28/2010 12:30:32 PM PST by Ben Mugged (Unions are the storm troopers of socialism.)
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To: trumandogz

You’re spot on. No one needs that kind of “help”.


28 posted on 01/28/2010 12:31:51 PM PST by greatplains
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To: the invisib1e hand
"Not postulating that this condones the murder, but, on the other hand, it sort of vaporizes your argument."

No it sorta doesn't. In fact, it very much emboldens it. Whose God are you talking about? The Indian's God(s)? The Muslim God? The God of Rah? The Gods of Asgard?

We AREN'T a theocracy, we're a Republic built out of law. When you start advocating that people start breaking the laws of man for the laws of their God, then you might as rename Washington, Tehran.

No one in THIS country gets to break the laws of the people out of some notion of moral superiority.

29 posted on 01/28/2010 12:33:09 PM PST by OldDeckHand
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To: Ben Mugged

The man committed murder and should be locked-up.

And yes, abortion should be against the law, but even with 9 of the last 12 justices of the SCOTUS being appointed by Republican Presidents, Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land.

Once Roe is overturned, the people will prosecute those who have and those who preform abortions with murder.


30 posted on 01/28/2010 12:33:38 PM PST by trumandogz (The Democrats are driving us to Socialism at 100 MPH -The GOP is driving us to Socialism at 97.5 MPH)
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To: trumandogz

How so?

I bet doctors considering doing late term abortions may decide not to do so because they could have the same fate. I say his actions have saved lives.


31 posted on 01/28/2010 12:34:03 PM PST by Wahoo82
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To: the invisib1e hand
He is a coward and a weasel claiming this was an act of "defense," and not the clearly calculated act of murder it was, so he can get a severely reduced sentence and save himself from prison.

Your hero is a disgusting wretch who murdered another disgusting wretch, and nothing more.

32 posted on 01/28/2010 12:35:05 PM PST by Anti-Utopian ("Come, let's away to prison; We two alone will sing like birds I' th' cage." -King Lear [V,iii,6-8])
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To: imahawk

“Its always fun to view your posts.You are so predictable.”

Thanks, and yes it is predictable that my posts on this issue will always come done on the side of Life.


33 posted on 01/28/2010 12:35:30 PM PST by trumandogz (The Democrats are driving us to Socialism at 100 MPH -The GOP is driving us to Socialism at 97.5 MPH)
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To: OldDeckHand
Sometimes justice needs to be supplied from the barrel of a gun.
34 posted on 01/28/2010 12:36:12 PM PST by Wahoo82
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To: OldDeckHand
...and are instructed, without equivocation, to follow the law, not to evaluate its merit.

Instruction and right are two different things. I hold tightly to the right of self-government, and to the fact that, in the final analysis, all government devolves to the people.

Americans have (like every nation has) gotten the government we deserve. But there are still those among us who will exercise our right of self-government and overrule unjust, murderous laws on a case-by-case basis.

You see, we're opposed to abortion even when it comes to actually stopping abortion.
35 posted on 01/28/2010 12:36:27 PM PST by LearsFool ("Thou shouldst not have been old, till thou hadst been wise.")
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To: OldDeckHand
"We are a nation of laws..."

Kansas Statutes Amended:

Chapter 21: Crimes And Punishments
PART I.--GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 32: Principles Of Criminal Liability

Statute 21-3211: Use of force in defense of a person; no duty to retreat.

(a) A person is justified in the use of force against another when and to the extent it appears to such person and such person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to defend such person or a third person against such other's imminent use of unlawful force.

(b) A person is justified in the use of deadly force under circumstances described in subsection (a) if such person reasonably believes deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to such person or a third person.

(c) Nothing in this section shall require a person to retreat if such person is using force to protect such person or a third person.

==========================================

A well crafted defense would establish that Roeder believed that abortions cause death or great bodily harm to a third person, after which the definition of "imminent" will be put to the test. IMHO, if Tiller had an abortion appointment scheduled for the following day, I'd call that imminent. You're right. We are a nation of laws...it will be interesting to see how this one is applied.

36 posted on 01/28/2010 12:36:43 PM PST by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: Ben Mugged

The prosecutor fought with the judge over letting him put on this defense. I wonder if she is trying to throw the case. Judge said he would be overturned in a heartbeat if he agreed with her.

If the jury decides it is voluntary manslaughter and not first degree murder, the precedent is not good. I don’t want some whacked out lib getting up and convincing a jury he had a right to murder someone because of what that person did. The left has great power to taint jury pools. They could demonize a victim, say a corporte polluter, and get away with first degree murder.


37 posted on 01/28/2010 12:37:11 PM PST by Brugmansian
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To: trumandogz
I’m Pro Life and do not believe in murdering abortion doctors.

Somebody say otherwise?

And once Abortion becomes illegal in all 50 states, not only should doctors who perform abortions be locked-up for life, but also the women who have abortions and the people who conspire with these women to kill their unborn babies should be locked up for life.

That's fine. But I'd have to disagree that this gunman has hurt the pro-life cause. I wouldn't ever murder anyone but who's to say he didn't save many lives?

Again, I am Pro Life.

Is there an echo in here?

38 posted on 01/28/2010 12:37:53 PM PST by Invincibly Ignorant
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To: Wahoo82

“I bet doctors considering doing late term abortions may decide not to do so because they could have the same fate. I say his actions have saved lives.”

That being the case, Mr. Roeder should feel satisfied with his accomplishment , as he will have plenty of time to think about it as he stares at the grey wall of a prison cell for the rest of his life.


39 posted on 01/28/2010 12:38:32 PM PST by trumandogz (The Democrats are driving us to Socialism at 100 MPH -The GOP is driving us to Socialism at 97.5 MPH)
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To: Invincibly Ignorant
"Wasn't against Germany's laws to kill Jews either. "

German was a totalitarian dictatorship devoid of law except those dictated by the Fuhrer. We are a representative republic, with laws written by for and of the people.

40 posted on 01/28/2010 12:38:42 PM PST by OldDeckHand
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