On January 13, 2010, Judge Warren Wilbert ruled that Scott Roeder can pursue a voluntary manslaughter defense. Roeder,explained that it was necessary to save the lives of fetuses that would be aborted. But the life of George Tiller, a doctor who performed late term abortions, didn’t matter to him.
The judge’s ruling has created shock waves.
Katherine Spillar,the Executive Vice President of the Feminist Majority Foundation, said, “Let there be no mistake, the rulings of Kansas Judge Warren Wilbert are being seen by extremists as a green light for those who would murder abortion providers.”
Don Spitz, manager of the Army of God website, actually advocates the murder of abortion providers as “justifiable homicide.”
A person who openly advocates the murder of any specific group of people is a danger to society.
Continuing….Spitz has been in touch with the confessed murderer, Scott Roeder. The Associated Press said Spitz believes that Wilbert’s ruling may influence some people to murder abortion providers because they may receive the lower sentence of voluntary sentence. Spitz said the Wilbert’s ruling “may increase the number of people who may be willing to take that risk.”So if Spitz said that, then the judge’s ruling takes on an even greater cause for alarm.
Roeder was charged with one count of premeditated murder and two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly threatening church ushers right after the murder. Dr.Tiller was killed while attending a church service. Given Wilbert's ruling, it is now possible for Roeder’s defense lawyers to argue for the lesser sentence of voluntary manslaughter, which Kansas defines as “an unreasonable but honest belief that circumstances existed that justified deadly force.” That is not Roeder’s case.
If Roeder is found guilty of first degree murder, he could receive life in prison. Lesser charges would result in a shorter sentence.
Taking into consideration that Dr. Tiller was murdered by Roeder in cold blood, I don’t see what would stop a jury of convicting him of first degree murder, in spite of Judge Wilbert. Hopefully, such a conviction would mean that he would spend the rest of his days in prison.