Federal Charges Might Be Dropped in Abortion Doctor Shooting Plot
Charges against Ralph Lang, of Marshfield, might be dismissed if a federal judge determines the abortion doctor Lang is accused of wanting to murder wasn’t receiving federal funds.
Lang’s April 8 trial has been postponed until prosecutors consult with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., on how to proceed in the nearly two-year-old case.
A year after he was initially charged with a misdemeanor, Lang was indicted last May with unlawfully attempting to injure, intimidate and interfere with persons participating in a federally funded program.
A conviction could result in a life sentence.
Lang is accused of driving to Madison in May 2010 to kill abortion doctors at a Planned Parenthood Clinic.
He was arrested when his gun went off in a Madison motel room. The bullet passed through his door, injuring no one. Lang told investigators he intended to go to the clinic and shoot people.
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