A New York doctor, Dr. Maggie Carpenter, was fined by a Texas judge for prescribing abortion pills to a woman near Dallas, marking one of the first challenges to “shield laws” in the US. The ruling came on the same day New York Gov. Kathy Hochul rejected a request from Louisiana to extradite Carpenter, who had been charged in that state for a similar offense. Texas did not file criminal charges against Carpenter but accused her of violating state law by prescribing abortion medication via telemedicine.
Judge Bryan Gantt issued a $100,000 fine against Carpenter and ordered her to pay attorney’s fees. Hochul announced that she would not honor Louisiana’s request for extradition, stating that she will not sign an extradition order for the doctor. Carpenter’s case is the first instance of criminal charges against a doctor for prescribing abortion pills across state lines.
The case has sparked a legal battle between New York and Louisiana over Carpenter’s actions, with potential implications for New York’s shield laws protecting doctors who prescribe abortion medication in states with restrictive abortion laws. Louisiana authorities have indicted Carpenter on charges related to violating the state’s near-total abortion ban, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for physicians convicted of performing abortions.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has called for Carpenter’s extradition to face trial in Louisiana, but Hochul’s refusal has escalated the conflict between the two states. The case highlights the ongoing political and legal battles surrounding abortion access in the US following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
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