The defense in the trial of late-term abortionist Kermit Gosnell rested without offering any witnesses on Wednesday, saying they did so for "strategic reasons," CNSNews.com reports. On Wednesday, Gosnell's defense attorney, Jack McMahon, had secured three charges dropped from the case for the murder of babies born alive. Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas judge Jeffrey P. Minehart dropped three first-degree murder charges against Gosnell, as well as five charges of "abuse of a corpse" for baby feet remains that Gosnell kept in jars, which were recovered from his Women's Medical Society clinic. Gosnell, 72, is still facing four counts of first-degree murder for the killing of babies born alive after abortions, and a third-degree murder charge in the overdose death of a mother. He is also charged with infanticide, conspiracy, abortion at 24 or more weeks, theft, corruption of minors, solicitation and other related offenses. During the trial, witnesses have testified that babies at Gosnell's clinic in West Philadelphia were routinely born alive, sometimes in the toilet or on the floor, surviving abortions only to have their spinal cords severed with surgical scissors. The grand jury report presented in the case said that Gosnell murdered "hundreds" of born babies over the years. Court will resume on Monday with closing arguments.
