NY Governor Denies Extradition Request for Abortion Pill Physician from Louisiana
The case in Louisiana is thought to be the first occurrence of criminal charges being brought against a physician for prescribing abortion pills across state lines.
On Thursday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declined a request from Louisiana to extradite a doctor charged with providing abortion pills to a minor, while a Texas judge has imposed a fine on the same physician in a different case.
“I will not be signing an extradition order that came from the governor of Louisiana. Not now, not ever,” said Hochul, a Democrat, during a press conference in Manhattan.
Additionally, the governor issued a directive to law enforcement in New York, instructing them to disregard out-of-state warrants related to such charges.
This response comes as New York-based Dr. Maggie Carpenter faces legal challenges in various states concerning her prescription of abortion medication via telemedicine. Carpenter is the co-medical director and founder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine.
The charges against Carpenter in Louisiana are believed to be the first criminal charges filed across state lines for prescribing abortion pills.
In West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, prosecutors have indicted Carpenter for allegedly breaching the state’s nearly complete abortion ban. Under Louisiana law, physicians convicted of performing abortions, even those using medication, face sentences of up to 15 years in prison.
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The minor in Louisiana to whom Carpenter prescribed abortion pills reportedly suffered a medical emergency that necessitated hospitalization, according to authorities in Louisiana. The girl’s mother has been charged in connection with the incident and has turned herself in to police.
In reaction to Hochul’s refusal, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, a Republican, stated: “There is only one right answer in this situation, and it is that this doctor must face extradition to Louisiana where she can stand trial and justice can be served.”
Fine From Texas
Meanwhile, in Texas, State District Judge Bryan Gantt has levied a $100,000 fine against Carpenter and has ordered her to pay attorney’s fees. Unlike Louisiana, Texas did not pursue criminal charges but initiated a lawsuit in December, accusing Carpenter of violating state law by prescribing abortion medication through telemedicine.
In this instance, the state’s Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton reported that the 20-year-old woman who received the pills was hospitalized with complications. The state’s filing noted that it was only after the incident that the man referred to as “the biological father of the unborn child” became aware of the pregnancy and the abortion.
The ruling from Texas represents one of the earliest challenges to so-called shield laws designed to protect abortion in Democratic-controlled states, where abortion remains legal. These laws aim to safeguard physicians who prescribe abortion medication to patients in states with stringent abortion restrictions.
Currently, pills are the most widely used method of abortion in the U.S. and have become the center of legal disputes related to abortion following the overturning of Roe V. Wade.
The conflict between New York and Louisiana regarding Carpenter is anticipated to result in a court case that could test the validity of the state’s shield law.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
From NTD News
