A trial witness who worked at a Philadelphia abortion clinic at age 15 says she saw at least one baby's chest move after the procedure. Her mother, who was a receptionist at the same clnic, said she witnessed an unlicensed doctor run out the back door the night of an FBI raid.
Ashley Baldwin and her mother Tina Baldwin both testified Thursday at the capital murder trial of abortion provider Kermit Gosnell.
The 72-year-old doctor is charged with killing seven newborns and a woman patient who died after an abortion.
Ashley Baldwin says she learned to do intravenous injections as a high school student and assisted with abortions. She testified that she worked there as part of a school program.
Baldwin said she began working at the front desk, answering phone calls and cleaning rooms. Her work load increased to more than 40 hours a week, Baldwin testified. She said she often stayed at the clinic until 1 or 2 a.m. and fell behind in her school work because of the late hours.
Baldwin told jurors that she saw babies move more than five times, seeing "chest breathing, a gasp, a flinch" she said. The teen testified that she witnessed about three abortions a week. Patients "sometimes sat on the toilet and a baby would come out," she said.
She said she heard a baby screech once and move.
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Her mother, Tina, also worked at the inner-city clinic. She has pleaded guilty to corruption of a minor for letting Ashley work at what prosecutors call a corrupt organization.
Tina Baldwin testified that Eileen O'Neill, who is on trial with Gosnell, slipped out the back door in 2010 when the FBI raided the West Philadelphia clinic.
O'Neill is charged with billing as a doctor. Tina Baldwin testified that O'Neill cared about the elderly patients she saw for high blood pressuer and diabetes problems. But she said O'Neill wrote prescriptions on a pre-signed pad, even when Gosnell was not working.
On cross-examination, Tina Baldwin acknowledged Gosnell often stopped at the clinic on days off. The defense hopes to suggest Gosnell could have authorized the prescriptions.
Seven other employees have also pleaded guilty and testified against their former employer.
Gosnell's lawyer insists that no babies were born alive.
