Kansas Supreme Court temporarily halts grand jury investigation of abortion provider

A grand jury investigation of one of the nation's few late-term abortion providers was put on hold Friday by the Kansas Supreme Court until it can decide whether the panel should convene.

The order by Chief Justice Kay McFarland was in response to a petition filed last week by Dr. George Tiller asking the court to stop the investigation by the grand jury scheduled to begin Tuesday. In the order, McFarland said it was issued "by virtue of the unique circumstances of this case and to allow full consideration of the petition."

The grand jury was initiated by anti-abortion groups that circulated citizen petitions. Kansas is one of the few states that allow citizens to petition to impanel a grand jury.

Tiller's petition named Judge Michael Corrigan and retired Judge Paul Buchanan as defendants. Corrigan is Sedgwick County's chief judge, and Buchanan was assigned to supervise the grand jury.

The court told them to respond by Nov. 16. No date has been set for the court to hear arguments on the merits of the petition.

Abortion opponents accuse Tiller and his Wichita clinic of violating a 1998 state law restricting late-term abortions, an allegation his attorneys repeatedly have said is unfounded.

Also Friday, abortion opponents submitted a petition asking Johnson County officials to form a grand jury to investigate a Planned Parenthood clinic in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park.