Prosecutor on new abortion restrictions: ‘Oath to uphold law’

Plus, aerial shows – defense and d’art – rule day at Purdue. Reports of finger pointing over homicide suspect at large. West Side’s Wall of Pride class. Get a piece of old Crawley Center bleachers

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PROSECUTOR ON NEW ABORTION RESTRICTIONS: ‘OATH TO UPHOLD LAW’

Called out this week by a West Lafayette City Council member to say whether he planned to pursue and enforce violations on Indiana’s new ban on most abortions, Tippecanoe County Prosecutor Pat Harrington was brief on Thursday.

Tuesday night, Ted Hardesty, a West Lafayette council member and Purdue student whose district includes a large section of campus, said students were looking for something definitive from Harrington, as they contemplated what was coming Sept. 15 when abortions would be outlawed, except in cases of rape, incest, fatal fetal anomalies or when the mother’s life is endangered.

(Photo: Dave Bangert)

“I’ve heard so much from students about (Senate Bill 1) and how terrified many of the students are about what SB1 is going to do to our community,” Hardesty, a Democrat, said. “The prosecutor has the ability to enforce the law or not enforce the law. … Some prosecutors have said they won’t enforce the law.”

The short answer from Harrington: “I took an oath to uphold the law as enacted by our state legislators and our Constitution. I will continue to honor this oath as has been done each day, and this applies to all laws passed by our state.”