Court issues stay in Planned Parenthood case

Planned Parenthood has won at least a temporary reprieve from a demand for pregnancy test records from its Storm Lake clinic. A dead baby boy was found in a Storm Lake recycling center in May, and Buena Vista County authorities are trying to track down the baby’s mother. The County Attorney went to court to get Planned Parenthood to turn over the names of women who sought pregnancy tests. A district court judge ordered Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa president Jill June to turn over the records by August 17, but the Iowa Supreme Court has issued what’s called a stay, a legal ruling which temporarily sets aside that deadline. Planned Parenthood argues the records should be kept confidential. Sandra Suarez, Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa’s staff attorney, says the stay puts the ball back in the county’s court. She says the motion for the stay is temporary, giving Buena Vista County officials until August 19 to respond as to why they believe Planned Parenthood should release the records. Suarez says the county can respond to the stay, or let it stand. She says if the county does not resist the stay, they won’t have to turn over the records until the appeal is decided. Suarez believes Planned Parenthood will eventually win the case, because she says the information is part of private medical records protected by law. Buena Vista County Attorney Philip Havens has not returned a Radio Iowa phone call on the issue.