A Texas judge has ordered New York doctor Margaret Carpenter to pay at least $100,000 and stop prescribing abortion pills to Texas women. The ruling is a legal victory for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a case testing whether conservative states can prosecute out-of-state doctors.
Judge Bryan Gantt in Collin County issued a default judgment after Carpenter failed to respond to Texas’ lawsuit. The state alleged she illegally prescribed mifepristone and misoprostol via telemedicine. Carpenter, a founder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, has not commented.
Paxton’s lawsuit claims Carpenter violated Texas’ abortion and licensing laws. The case stems from a Texas woman who reportedly took the pills, experienced bleeding, and sought hospital care, where her partner discovered the drugs.
Carpenter also faces indictment in Louisiana for prescribing an abortion pill to a teenager there, marking the first known criminal charge against an out-of-state doctor for such actions.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has refused Louisiana’s extradition request, citing the state’s shield laws. New York protects doctors from legal action as long as they comply with state laws.
Medication abortion, which accounts for over half of U.S. abortions, has gained attention since the Supreme Court allowed state bans in 2022. More than 20 states, including Texas, have outlawed abortion, while Democratic-led states like New York have enacted protections for providers.
Neither Paxton’s office nor the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine immediately responded to requests for comment.
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