Abortionist Jose Gilberto Higuera's medical license has been revoked as a
result of his guilty plea to a charge of falsifying medical records.
Because of Higuera's plea, prosecutors agreed to drop charges of
committing a felonious abortion.
Higuera had been charged in 1996 with committing
an abortion which killed a nearly seven month old unborn baby, and altering the medical
records after he came under investigation. The alleged act violated
a 1973 Michigan law which applies to cases where it is believed that
the baby would have been expected to survive outside the womb and the abortion was
not needed to protect the "life or health" of the woman.
The baby's mother said she was never told how advanced her pregnancy was,
and that she had sought the abortion because she had divorced the baby's
father and had other children. She underwent
a $3,000, two-day abortion. Higuera's nurse brought the case to the
state's attention.
Prosecutor Mark Blumer explained what made this abortion case a crime
under Michigan law: "A woman went in to the doctor's office and wanted an
abortion for no good reason. And we have a doctor who was willing to give
it. That's why this case is so different."
Many women have sued Higuera for harming them in botched abortions. Most
of the cases have been settled.
Early in 1999, the state suspended Higuera's medical license, finding he
was "negligent, incompetent, and lacked good moral character."
Higuera has reportedly stopped committing abortions and no longer lives in
Michigan. In 1994, when the abortion occurred, he had abortion mills
in Bloomfield Hills and Highland Park.
This page documents news reports about this case, and other reports
relevant to abortionist Higuera. (Some breaking
stories we haven't posted
here yet could be on the news feed on our main news page.)
If possible, we also hope to provide you with a perspective
on this case from some of the pro-life missionaries who have had
personal experience with Higuera or the women and babies he targeted.
(If you are one of these
missionaries, please send
us a message.)
The case was delayed for years in the courts.
A district court had thrown out the charges, finding Michigan's criminal
abortion statute to be unconstitutional. A circuit court agreed and threw
out an appeal. But the state Court of Appeals reinstated the charges in
February 2001.
Higuera will be sentenced on May 30.
He will probably get probation, instead of the penalty he had been
facing of up to four years in prison.
