On Thursday, a Texas judge fined a New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills to women outside Dallas in a ruling that could change the landscape of democratic abortion laws.
Earlier on Thursday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (d) rejected Louisiana's request to hand over Maggie Carpenter, the same doctor accused of prescribing a pregnant abortion pill in Louisiana. .
Texas did not file charges against the carpenter, but later last year he denounced her in a lawsuit, accusing her of violating state law by prescribing medications through the telehealth law. The Associated Press reported.
Carpenter has been ordered to pay a fine of more than $100,000 in Texas, state district judge Brian Gantt issued Thursday. She also had to pay her lawyer's fees and was handed over an injunction banning prescription drugs to Texas residents.
Gant was at his order, and Carpenter was given a notice but did not appear in court, the AP noted.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Maril signed a handover form for Carpenter on Wednesday. Less than two weeks have passed since the big ju judge indicted her over the case.
Maril said he plans to pass the extradition form to Gov. Jeff Landry (R-La.) and take “any legal action” to enforce the state's criminal law.
A few days ago, Hochul signed the law on Monday to protect the identity of healthcare providers who prescribe abortion medications. At Hochul's announcement on Thursday Handled request was addressed.
“I have taken the oath of office to protect all New Yorkers. I will maintain not only our constitution, but also the laws of the land,” Hochul said. “And I'm not going to sign an extradition order that came from the governor of Louisiana, not now.”
Carpenter is a co-director and founder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine. The group's executive director, Julie Kay, said the fines inherited from Texas would not change the Shield Act of the Democratic States, the Associated Press reported.
“Patients can access medication abortion from licensed healthcare providers wherever they live,” she said.
Carpenter's lawsuit in Louisiana may be the first time that criminal charges have been brought against a doctor accused of prescribing abortion medication in another state.
After the 2022 Supreme Court decision, DOBBS v. Jackson Women's Health Agency broke its constitutional right to abortion, and various Republican states like Louisiana and Texas implemented abortion restrictions. Democrat states, including New York, sought protection. Provides practice and access to abortion medications to patients outside of state.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
