Dr. Harris Finberg of Phoenix, who specializes in obstetric ultrasounds, said that it would have been impossible to determine the fetal age of LouAnne Herron's unborn child by looking at the image made by a medical assistant at a Phoenix abortion clinic.
Fetal age is crucial to determining whether a pregnancy is too advanced for an abortion.
Finberg said it was obvious that the ultrasound machine was damaged and that the medical assistant improperly placed instruments that determine fetal age. The prosecution has said Biskind's care of Herron has fallen below acceptable medical standards. Biskind was stripped of his Arizona medical license after Herron's death. The ultrasound that Finberg examined put Herron's fetus at 23 weeks and three days. Biskind is not charged with performing an illegal abortion of a viable fetus.