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The following article detailed a prominent abortionist in metropolitan Phoenix Arizona. But in 2004, Brian Finkel was convicted of several counts of se/x abuse and sentenced to 35 years in prison and 99 years probation. If you do read through the following, you will see that his initial impression fooled even some of the most intelligent people in the city because few knew how he was abusing women on the table. The following is a portrait written before his conviction and also the story of his arrest and conviction and imprisonment in 2004:
(Article by SueW) In 2000, the Phoenix underground newspaper (a free rag you pick up at colleges and some bookstores), the "New Times" ran a feature on local abortionist, Brian Finkel. The article was not pleasant to read and reporting on it here, I must include some rather macabre material, however, this article gives us the rare opportunity to intimately gaze inside the mind of a man whose work involves killing on a daily basis. Finkel, like Hitler and Manson, is quite candid in his statements, not realizing the portrait he is painting of himself depicts a man lacking in some very basic human qualities and walking on the fine line between insanity and a personality disorder.
In the end, as we look at an aging man who denies God and lives in isolation and loneliness, finding it necessary to contact people through his media interviews, we must feel a tinge of sadness. Brian Finkel might be a worse victim than those hapless infants he destroys.
Finkel who brags about doing at least 8 abortions a day, is quite vocal in the local media. He's known for wearing an armored vest and carrying a couple of guns at all times. This is, he's told the press, to protect himself against the 'vicious' prolifers who are sometimes outside his clinic. Finkel has never been hurt nor threatened (but he has threatened pro lifers repeatedly). The only injury Finkel claims to be in connection with his clinic is the time he got his thumb caught in the revolving door while entering the clinic.
Known for being strange (even abortionists don't like to connect with him), Finkel did not disappoint his audience in this latest interview.
He gave the reporter a tour of his clinic which he calls "the Vaginal Vault" in addition to his vivid descriptions and strange sense of humor.
The clinic, wrote the reporter, 'feels more like a pawn shop' than an abortion mill. Finkel exhibits several collections there including Elvis Presley plates, Native American rugs and pictures of fertility goddesses.
Showing the reporter the vacuum pump, Finkel said "This is where I do the Lord's work. I heal the sick with it." He calls the pump which he inserts in a woman's vagina to rip apart her baby, the "Super Sucker".
The abortionist's description of an abortion never mentions the baby (with whom most mothers have already bonded at 10 weeks). He told the reporter:
"See, you use the suction device to empty the uterus, it pulls the tissue out, then you take the sharp curettage with this little thing on it, and that scrapes the lining of the uterus to make sure everything's out."
The entire process, said Finkel, takes about ten minutes.
The reporter, likely a pro choicer, remarked that Finkel seemed to have an insatiable thirst for publicity, describing him in the article as follows:
"Brian Finkel is a bull in a curettage shop, a potty-mouthed 12-year-old trapped in an almost 50-year-old body. A megalomaniac, a would-be martyr, an inspiration -- to the opposition. "
Over a 'few glasses of wine' and a beer, later on in his home, Finkel gave some interesting insights about his background and his feelings and opinions. Like his work, the man is, to say the least, macabre and the exploration into his inner psyche is more horrible than any movie Hollywood could invent.
Finkel told the reporter that he had a dysfunctional home. His parents, he said, were both abusive alcoholics and he left home at the age of 17 to go to college on an Air Force scholarship.
Hoping to please his physician father, Finkel became a doctor. However, his plans didn't work - he's been estranged from his family for years. Finkel told the reporter his feelings concerning his father:
"My mother's dead, but I'm looking forward to being an orphan. I can't wait for that nasty son of a b----h (female dog) to die, so I can go p___ (eliminate urine) on his grave"
The abortionist admits to marrying the first woman who was nice to him. In the service, he and his wife traveled all over the Pacific and Finkel began specializing in abortions pretty early in the game. He also seems to have gotten well acquainted with the prostitutes. "You can get any girl for only $8 a night, " he told the reporter.
Returning to Phoenix, Arizona after his stint in the military, Finkel set up a ob-gyn practice but soon got into the trouble with several of the local hospitals, getting his privileges revoked.
In the 1980's, he discovered the demand for abortionists in the area. His wife, Diana became pregnant with their third child while she was still nursing the second. Finkel decided Diana should have an abortion and sought another doctor to do it. The only doctor he could find did it painfully and poorly.
After his wife's abortion, Finkel decided there might be a market for an abortionist in Phoenix so he hung out a shingle. The response was more than he ever imagined, he said.
Finkel hates pro lifers as much as he hates the local hospitals who have denied him privileges. Since the abortionist has been kicked out by his landlord, he must find a new place for his business. He blames his being kicked out on the prolifers but chances are their peaceful demonstrations have little to do with the fact that the landlords may not be real happy with Finkel's arsenal kept in the abortion mill (including automatic and semi-automatic weapons) nor what the clinic does. As it turns out, the pro-lifers, mostly Children of the Rosary who pray the Rosary for the end of abortion, are relegated to the parking lot across the street due to legal actions Finkel has taken so that isn't really affecting his relationship with his landlord, despite what he says.
Prolifers are not the only recipients of the abortionist's scorn - the list of his prejudices seems very long. He told the reporter about one pro lifer whom he described as "a fat Mexican". Finkel called this man, "Beer Belly" and one day, told the prolifer:
"Hey, Beer Belly, I want you to know that if your wife ever needs an abortion, I'll do one for free. Not because I'm a nice guy, but just because I want to get between her l-e-e-e-e-gs."
Finkel's 'flattering' descriptions seem to be unending. He calls the law firm who 'got him off' from 27 of the 30 complaints to the medical board (complaints ranged from women who said Finkel 'felt them up' to negligence), "the eight gnawing Jews".
But some of his most vicious names are reserved for pro life activists like Kathy Sabelko, founder of the Children of the Rosary. Finkel told the reporter that Sabelko was, "a double-butt ugly mean-spirited b---- (female dog).", and then went into a long soliloquy about how he didn't think Kathy was attractive looking, all of which the New Times printed in glowing detail.
But some views of Finkel seem to see another side to him. The following is quoted from the article:
"Brian Finkel certainly made a strong first impression on Jayne McElfresh. She first encountered Finkel in the early 1990s, when he came before the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners. She's a board member, and Finkel was there to defend himself against a complaint."
"The board room was packed, McElfresh recalls. "And in walks this man attired in leather. Black leather pants, black leather jacket, black leather motorcycle boots. I think he even had one of those chains dangling from his hip. And in his hand he had a black helmet with a face guard. My first thought was, 'My God, who is this character?' He looked like something out of Knight Rider." "
"She bit on her pen to keep from laughing, certain this was a patient, not a doctor. But Finkel's case was called, and he rose to speak."
"'I was dumbfounded,' McElfresh says. 'I listened to this man speak very passionately about what he did for a living, and the concerns he had and the pressures placed on him. But what I remembered mostly . . . was that you could tell this man cared about his patients.'"
"McElfresh, who has served on the board for six years and is its immediate past president, says she reviewed Finkel's file after hearing of the large number of complaints against him. She won't discuss particulars, but says she believes many were fabricated by pro-lifers. "
"'I reviewed his file, and I made sure I knew who this person was, compared with the persona,' she says, concluding, 'This is a good physician who does something that a segment of society does not approve.'"
On Finkel's 'most wanted' list, Planned Parenthood (which is actually somewhat in favor of enforced abortion mill health controls) rates highly.
And outside of the couple of persons in his fan club and those who eagerly read the news to see what insanity Finkel is perpetrating now, Finkel has few friends.
"No one ever calls", Diana, his wife told the New Times. Diana admitted that she didn't think Finkel's problems arose from his dysfunctional home and that even after 26 years of marriage, she still didn't understand where he was coming from. She remains to this day, however, involved in managing Finkel's abortion mill.
Abortionists insist that Finkel is unusual however, I would tend to disagree. According to LIME 5, by Mark Crutcher, many abortionists appear to have rather serious psychological problems. In considering their daily macabre duties, this is not surprising. Compare to Nazi guards in the concentration camps.
After the article:
7/28/01:
Shortly after the above article was
written, Brian Finkel was asked to leave the building he had been leasing. He solved the
problem of being thrown out of someone else's building. He built
his own, a windowless building with no sign on the front. 
Sidewalk counselors found the new clinic and prayer resumed. Finkel often came out, showing a rather nasty look firearm. "If you want a good abortion, " he held up a sign saying, "See me!" Other times, he made comments to those praying the Rosary in front of his clinic such as "Take your beads and go home. Your prayers are useless." And occasionally, he made nasty remarks about the physiques of the pro lifers in front of his clinic. "You have big boobs," he told one woman marching in front of the clinic (that was me, by the way, he told that to! ** sigh **).
(Phoenix, AZ - 12:00 pm) In a nearly unanimous vote this morning, the Arizona Board of Medical Examiners for Osteopathic physicians, suspended the license of abortionist, Brian Finkel, D.O, pending the outcome of the ongoing criminal investigation by the County Attorney's office. Finkel has been accused of sexually assaulting women when they were having their pre abortion exams or while under twilight sleep.
The one dissenter on the board, Dr Whitaker, D.O., pointed out that only one such allegation had become a criminal investigation after nearly ten years of Finkel doing abortions. He theorized that at least 50 percent of Finkel's clients were less than upstanding citizens of society such as women working as 'exotic dancers' etc. With reference to the employees who had collaborated the allegations, Dr Whitaker pointed out that they were no longer working for Finkel so could be disgruntled employees. "Dr Finkel performs over 100 abortions a week, " said Dr Whitaker, suggesting that women who needed this service would be compromised if Dr Finkel were suspended. Finally, Dr Whitaker commented that he had known Dr Finkel personally, since he had come to Phoenix and felt the allegations could not be true.
In answer to the above issues, another member of the board pointed out that one of the employees who had collaborated the information had worked for Finkel for 10 years. Although the board members acknowledged Dr Whitaker's points, it was the feeling of many members, that there was enough evidence to lead them to feel there might be a disturbing pattern happening with Dr Finkel and that there might be other victims who had been afraid to come forward. "Abortion is not a totally acceptable procedure and some women would be embarrassed to come forward because of this." said one D.O. Another board member added that oftentimes women who are the recipients of a criminal action are shy to come forward.
It was the consensus of the board that it would be an action to protect the public to suspend Dr Finkel's license until the criminal allegations are resolved.
The criminal investigation is proceeding - if you know anyone or are a person who had an abortion with Dr Finkel and you feel that he touched you inappropriately or in any other way, made sexual advances, the Maricopa County Attorney's office would like to talk to you. Contact information can be found on the following website:
http://www.maricopa.gov/attorneyNOTE: two weeks after this action, Dr Whittaker formally apologized to the board of D.O.s, for his defense of Brian Finkel, saying he had not been aware of the extent of sexual abuse, Finkel had been guilty of.
Brian Finkel, DO, a prominant Phoenix, AZ abortionist was arrested at 8:45 this morning in front of his home. The charges - 16 counts of sexual molestation of his patients while they were on the table for female exams - some while under twilight sleep and 1 count of sexual assualt.
One of the victims said that Finkel had held his hand over her mouth while assaulting her.
The testimony of the victims was collaborated by several of Finkel's clinic employees, one of over 10 years duration. Finkel had a busy abortion practice of approximately 100 abortions a week.
Finkel is, as of this moment, sitting in the Madison Street Jail in Phoenix, AZ. Since there may be as many as 100 more victims, it's likely that more permanent arrangements will be made for his housing with Sheriff Arpayo's boys in the near future.
The Attorney General commented that the Biskind case of medical neglience was nothing compared to this one which is a case of criminal activity.
Finkel is, of course, claiming his innocence. Not many seem to be believing in that though.
Brian Finkel stood trial on 67 counts of sexual abuse and molestation and was sentenced in January 2004 to 35 years in prison and after he is released, 99 years of probation. Thirty-five victims (out of 100 who identified themselves) testified.
Judge Cates patiently assigned a prison sentence to each count of sexual abuse, identifying all counts as a class 5 felony. Some of the conditions of the lifetime probation called for Finkel not being allowed to drink any alcoholic beverages, the payment of a probation fee of $50 a month (for life), being required to register in the national database as a sexual offender, not being allowed to work at all in the medical field, and being required to inform any future employer of his conviction as a sexual offender.
Finkel quietly listened to his sentence as he stood by the bailiff, dressed in his wrinkled stripped prisoner garb, his feet chained together as he waited for them to take him away to begin his incarceration. (A request by his attorney to allow him to dress in a suit had been denied.) Without his expensive suit and dyed hair, he did not have his usual dapper appearance.
He is currently serving his prison sentence.
The following article was written after I attended two days of the victims testimony:
Having the advantage of living in the same town in which abortionist Brian Finkel is on trial for some 67 counts of sexual assault / abuse, I have been attending the trial.
The newspaper accounts have greatly whitewashed the situation. From the articles I've read, the jury was still out on whether Finkel's 'touching' was a part of his pelvic and breast exams, or not. Finkel naturally claims it was a necessary part of his exams.
Listening to the victims a much more sinister and shocking story arises. Finkel, it seems didn't touch, he did moves which could only be called foreplay, while saying things to the victims like "I'm a lean mean f-cking machine" and singing sexual songs while he was scrubbing up for someone's abortion. "I'm so handsome and sexy, you need to send more bad girls to me, " he told one victim.
"He did that to you," asked the female defense attorney, Ms Curry of one victim, "and you didn't walk out, or run away?" She was trying to impeach the victims' testimony. But I think anyone with a half a brain knows that when a sick male is about to have his way with you, the worst thing you can do is just "walk out" or let him know that something is wrong because rape, is about power, not sex.
One victim whom Finkel was doing his foreplay thing on, while she was in stirrups, slid away from him. Finkel roughly pulled her down toward him again, never missing a beat with his fingers.
All the victims I heard testify, when asked if Finkel during his vaginal exams had done the usual thing of looking in with a light or palpitating the uterus (to check for fibroids etc), said that Finkel never even LOOKED AT their vagina - he seemed too busy in his foreplay moves.
One victim who was a teen when she encountered Finkel, described Finkel slapping her roughly on the butt supposedly a prelude to giving her a depo shot. He slapped her so hard, it hurt her, she said and then, delivered the shot in an extremely painful manner. While he was supposedly giving her a pelvic (which was nothing except foreplay) she felt it was like he wanted to have sex with her. After Finkel had delivered the shot, he pulled off his gloves, threw them away and walked out of the room, like she was used toilet paper.
She got in her car, crying her eyes out and drove across the street, parked in the strip mall and cried for about 30 minutes before she could bring herself to go home.
She wept as she sat up on the witness stand, telling about the experience, 4 years later. Finkel sat there watching her with a scornful look at his face. Later he laughed at something she had said to his attorneys who laughed and joked with him. The term "moral bankruptcy" came to mind as I watched the two defense attorneys and Finkel together.
Watching these victims, it's very clear that what Finkel did to them had nothing to do with medicine at all. It is also very clear that even years later, the victims are still extremely injured from the abuse they received.
One cannot sit in court, watching this horror story unfold and not hope that justice is done and that Finkel is put in jail for a lengthy period of time. And to at least some of us, the question looms in the back of our minds - can a doctor who cuts apart tiny pre born babies, ever remain a healer - many studies have reported a large percentage of severe emotional distress in abortionists. When did Brian Finkel lose his humanity? Was it after taking the life of that first baby in utero?
The week after I listened to the soul wrenching testimonies of these victims, a Phoenix gynecologist got up on the stand and testified that what Finkel did was a "usual part" of a gynecological exam. He is affiliated with a "Women's Health Group", a large nationwide concern which does do abortions. But he is also respected as a gynecologist in the Phoenix area. One wondered from his testimony whether he "fingered" his patients while they were in stirrups also? It is a mystery why a doctor would testify to aid in releasing such a dangerous criminal.
Neither the judge nor the jury "bought" Finkel's claims to innocence. Sadly, in addition to ruining several young lives of ladies, Finkel's own life is in tatters. A highly intelligent man who could have saved many lives, now sits in a small prison cell. Sad for his victims and sadder for him as he may have to answer to the Creator he denied belief in later on.
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