INDIANAPOLIS — The Marion County prosecutor is doubling down on his stance that he will not enforce any state laws that restrict access to abortion in Indianapolis.
At a pro-choice rally in downtown Indianapolis, Mears also further explained the reasoning behind his decision ahead of the state legislature’s special session in a little over two weeks, in which they are expected to pass new abortion laws in Indiana.
“Hopefully we have a discussion about the implications of these types of laws and how that is going to impact the medical community as well as people who are seeking medical treatment, so we are hoping the special session has a fair hearing of these issues and these concerns,” Mears said to WISH-TV.
Mears added that the biggest reason he won’t prosecute anyone breaking abortion laws is more of a sense of respect for the privacy of the women, an all involved, who seek out an abortion.
“To mount one of these criminal prosecutions you would have to go through people’s medical records, mental health records,” he said. “It’s important to note, criminal prosecutions are open to the public, and then all of that information would be available for public consumption.”
Mears will be taking on Republican challenger Cyndi Carrasco in the November election. Carrasco’s campaign said in response that “she will carefully watch what action the Indiana legislature takes and analyze any new laws that are passed.”
Monroe County prosecutor Erika Oliphant is giving a word of caution to her counterpart in Marion County, saying that pledging not to enforce state laws could lead the legislature to approve measures that crack down on non-compliant prosecutors in Indiana.
