A Texas judge fined New York doctor Maggie Carpenter $100,000 for prescribing abortion pills to a woman near Dallas, marking one of the first legal challenges to “shield laws” protecting out-of-state abortion providers. Meanwhile, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul refused Louisiana’s request to extradite Carpenter, who faces criminal charges for prescribing abortion pills to a minor.
Texas sued Carpenter for violating its strict abortion laws but did not file criminal charges. Louisiana, however, indicted her under its near-total abortion ban, sparking a legal battle over New York’s shield law. Hochul vowed never to approve extradition and ordered law enforcement not to cooperate with out-of-state abortion-related warrants.
The high-profile case is expected to test the legality of shield laws as conservative and liberal states clash over abortion rights in the post-Roe era.
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