As Michigan’s elected prosecutors, we are entrusted with the health and safety of the people serve. We believe that duty must come before all else. For that reason, we are reassuring our communities that we support a woman’s right to choose and every person’s right to reproductive freedom.
Michigan’s anti-abortion statutes were written and passed in 1931. There were no women serving in the Michigan legislature. Those archaic statutes are unconstitutionally and dangerously vague, leaving open the potential for criminalizing doctors, nurses, anesthetists, health care providers, office receptionists – virtually anyone who either performs or assists in performing these medical procedures. Even the patient herself could face criminal liability under these statutes.
We believe those laws conflict with the oath we took to support the United States and Michigan Constitutions, and to act in the best interest of the health and safety of our communities. We cannot and will not support criminalizing reproductive freedom or creating unsafe, untenable situations for health care providers and those who seek abortions in our communities. Instead, we will continue to dedicate our limited resources towards the prosecution of serious crimes and the pursuit of justice for all.
Today, our Governor filed a lawsuit to guarantee the right to reproductive freedom in Michigan and to prevent the arbitrary enforcement of those 90-year-old statutes. These statutes were held unconstitutional five decades ago and are still unconstitutional today. We support the Governor in that effort.
We hope you will stand with us as we work to protect and serve our communities.
Respectfully,
Karen D. McDonald, Oakland County Prosecutor
Carol A. Siemon, Ingham County Prosecutor
Eli Savit, Washtenaw County Prosecutor
David Leyton, Genesee County Prosecutor
Kym L. Worthy, Wayne County Prosecutor
Matthew J. Wiese, Marquette County Prosecutor
Jeffrey S. Getting, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor
