Missouri Circuit Court Judge Werner Moentmann rules that Planned Parenthood must repay money.

June 9, 2005 On Thursday, Missouri Judge Werner Moentmann ruled that  of  and Planned Parenthood of Mid-Missouri must repay the state of Missouri $668,850 for grants they received illegally for fiscal years 2000 and 2003. The Judge said that the Planned Parenthood groups shared "office space, expenses, employee wages, equipment and supplies" with doctors who performed abortions and therefore was ineligible for the grant money.

This is the third time the case has come before a circuit judge &mdash; twice previously circuit court judges ruled that Planned Parenthood was not eligible for grant funding from Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

The Missouri Supreme Court overturned two previous rulings without addressing the merits of the case itself. The first ruling urged the lower court to reconsider the decision based on changes in federal law; the second ruling was overturned when the court found that Attorney General Jay Nixon had a conflict of interest in representing both the state legislature and the health department.