releases: https://pearce.house.gov/press-release/judge-rules-move-lawsuit-against-swwo-forward
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://pearce.house.gov/press-release/judge-rules-move-lawsuit-against-swwo-forward | JUDGE RULES TO MOVE LAWSUIT AGAINST SWWO FORWARD | 2017-10-23 | 2017 | 2017-10 | Republican | House | NM | Steve Pearce | P000588 | pearce.house.gov | legacy | Albuquerque, NM (October 20, 2017) Last week, Albuquerque District Judge Clay Campbell ruled against a motion filed by Curtis Boyd, owner of Southwestern Women’s Options (SWWO), to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Albuquerque woman, Jessica Duran, which includes the unauthorized harvesting of her infant’s body parts for research at the University of New Mexico (UNM). This ruling will move Duran’s lawsuit forward to a trial by jury. “New Mexico itself has been struggling to uphold the law since an investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives Select Panel on Infant Lives raised serious concerns of ethical and legal violations by the University of New Mexico and the Southwestern Women’s Options. The Panel sent two criminal referrals to the New Mexico Attorney General based on the findings of their investigation. Attorney General Hector Balderas refused to take action,” stated Rep. Pearce. “District Judge Campbell’s decision in this case allows for justice to prevail for the women and unborn children who were affected by these deceiving practices. Human life must be valued, and this decision takes a necessary step toward ensuring human life and the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves are protected.” Background The House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives was tasked with discovering information on the medical practices of abortion service providers and procurement practices of organizations who sell baby body part across the nation. Of the 15 criminal referrals, 2 of them were sent to the New Mexico Attorney General's Office. The final report released by the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives can be found here. On April 20, 2017, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas stated his office was taking further action to consider the legal violations uncovered at the University of New Mexico, yet no action was taken. On September 5, 2017, Rep. Pearce sent a letter to the United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions to request an investigation into the wrongdoings between the University of New Mexico Health Service Center (UNMHSC) and Southwestern Women’s Options (SWWO). A PDF of the letter can be found here. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |