Baker all but guaranteed no charges for abortion. Would next prosecutor do the same?
Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email our journalists at RealityCheck@kcstar.com.
One of the three Democrat candidates running to be the next Jackson County prosecutor would handle abortion cases differently than his two opponents.
During a recent forum hosted by South Kansas City Democrats, John Gromowsky said he would consider charging medical providers who perform abortions.
“If that case comes in, you have to look at it,” he said.
“You can’t just wholesale say I’m not going to prosecute the law. When you knowingly and willfully refuse to prosecute and enforce the laws of the state, you have forfeited the office.”
Once a case is presented, prosecutors can decide how to handle it, Gromowsky added.
After he finished his remarks, an audience member loudly called him a “pro-life Republican.”
Gromowsky, Stephanie Burton and Melesa Johnson are vying for the Democratic nomination. Tracey Chappell is the lone Republican.
One of them will replace Jean Peters Baker, who was elected in 2012 and is not seeking reelection this year.
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Missouri enacted a near-total ban on abortions. The state also made performing or inducing an illegal abortion a class B felony. Doctors can lose their professional licenses.
Baker all but guaranteed her office would not bring abortion-related charges, saying she would use prosecutorial discretion “to limit the erosion of reproductive rights.”
Prosecutors wield broad power in deciding what cases and charges to pursue.
Burton and Johnson said they would not file cases against abortion providers.
“In my opinion, there’s nothing complex about a woman’s autonomy over her body and her right to choose what to do with that autonomy, and a medical provider’s ability to provide a woman with the tools to exert her autonomy over her body,” Johnson told The Star.
Burton said having her four children was her choice.
“It shouldn’t be a matter of someone dictating what’s right for our bodies,” she said.
It’s also important for the next prosecutor to be clear about where they stand and “not hem and haw” on the issue, Burton said.
Chappell told The Star that if a provider was performing a non-emergent abortion, she would proceed with filing a case.
“If there’s something on the books, then it’s a crime,” she said.
When a prosecutor picks and chooses the cases they want to pursue, Chappell added, they leave themselves open to being influenced by outside groups and lobbyists.
The primary will be held Aug. 6.
During the general election in November, Missourians will likely vote on a ballot measure that would enshrine abortion access in the state constitution.
