ABORTION: ESCOBEDO CASE RESCHEDULED UNTIL APRIL 28

A state administrative hearing in the case of a St. Louis doctor accused of misconduct and negligence regarding abortions he performed in Cape Girardeau and St. Louis once again has been rescheduled.

The hearing in the case of Dr. Bolivar Escobedo, which had been scheduled to start today after having been continued from October, has now been rescheduled for April 28-30.

The hearing will be held at the Administrative Hearing Commission office in Jefferson City.

Edward Downey, administrative hearing commissioner, last month granted Escobedo's request for a continuance citing "discovery disputes."

The commissioner ordered Escobedo to provide all the documents requested by the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts.

Board officials had said in a petition to the hearing commission that Escobedo had provided copies and not originals of some documents, and failed to produce all documents requested and explain certain abbreviations and notations on the copies provided.

Sara Trower of the Missouri attorney general's office had said earlier this fall that the hearing that had been scheduled for October was continued because of Escobedo's failure to provide all the information requested in the discovery process.

An eight-count complaint filed in February 1990 by the healing arts board charges that Escobedo negligently performed abortions; misused controlled drugs; operated an abortion clinic without a license; performed surgical procedures without a registered nurse, blood bank or adequate equipment on hand; and performed abortions without having surgical privileges at any Missouri hospital.