New York’s shield law was designed to protect providers mailing medication abortion pills out of state. But a New York provider is facing legal action in Louisiana and Texas.
Rachel Rebouché
February 20, 2025
Can a doctor who lives in and practices medicine in the state of New York be fined by a Texas court for violating Texas’s abortion ban and licensure law, or be indicted on criminal charges under Louisiana’s abortion law for prescribing and mailing abortion pills to patients who are residents of those states?
Dr. Margaret Carpenter is facing a lawsuit from the state of Texas and an indictment from a Louisiana grand jury for prescribing and shipping medication abortion to people in those states. Last Thursday, Louisiana’s governor signed an order to extradite, demanding that New York force Carpenter to travel to Louisiana to stand trial. New York Governor Kathy Hochul forcefully rejected the demand, stating: “I will not be signing an extradition order that came from the governor of Louisiana — not now, not ever.” Around the same time, a Texas state court entered a default judgement against Carpenter, finding her in violation of Texas’s abortion ban and liable for over $100,000 in fines and attorney fees.
Continued: https://www.thenation.com/article/society/shield-laws-fault-line-abortion-access/