New York attorney general will defend shield laws against Texas abortion pill case
ALBANY, NY - MAY 21: State Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a press conference calling on the Legislature to pass a consumer protection bill on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at the Capitol in Albany, NY. (Jim Franco/Albany Times Union via Gett
NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James is filing to intervene in Texas' ongoing fight against the state after a New York doctor prescribed abortion pills to a Texas resident.
James' decision to intervene comes in response to a lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after a New York county court clerk refused to enforce a $100,000 judgment against Dr. Maggie Carpenter for prescribing abortion pills to a 20-year-old Collin County woman.
The case is a challenge to New York shield laws, which protect providers and patients by preventing state and local from helping with out-of-state prosecutions for abortion or gender-affirming care.
What they're saying:
"I am stepping in to defend the integrity of our laws and our courts against this blatant overreach," James said. "Texas has no authority in New York, and no power to impose its cruel abortion ban here. Our shield law exists to protect New Yorkers from out-of-state extremists, and New York will always stand strong as a safe haven for health care and freedom of choice. I will fight every last attempt to roll back our rights and turn back the clock on reproductive freedom."
On X, Paxton called James a "lawless abortionist" who was weaponizing her office.
Paxton sues court clerk over abortion pill judgment
Paxton sued Ulster County, New York clerk Taylor Bruck in July after Paxton said they "plainly rejected" attempts from Texas to enforce the judgment against Carpenter.
What they're saying:
"Dr. Carpenter is a radical abortionist who must face justice, not get legal protection from New York liberals intent on ending the lives of as many unborn children as they can," Paxton said. "No matter where they reside, pro-abortion extremists who send drugs designed to kill the unborn into Texas will face the full force of our state’s pro-life laws."
The other side:
James will argue that Texas cannot enforce its rulings through the New York court system, calling the move "out-of-state overreach."
Collin County judge fines New York doctor for prescribing abortion pills
In February, Collin County District Judge Bryan Gantt issued a default judgment against Carpenter after she was sued by the state for sending abortion pills to a 20-year-old Collin County woman.
Gantt ordered Carpenter to pay $100,000 and granted a permanent injunction against the doctor.
Gantt noted in his order that despite being notified, Carpenter failed to appear in court.
Paxton sued Carpenter in December 2024 after she prescribed the abortion-inducing drugs mifepristone and misoprostol to the woman in May 2024.
Court records state the woman took the medication when she was nine weeks pregnant. When she began experiencing severe bleeding, the lawsuit says, she asked the man who impregnated her to take her to the hospital. He had not been aware she was pregnant or seeking an abortion, according to the filing.
Texas bill allowing citizens to sue over abortion pills advances
State lawmakers are trying to put an end to abortion pills entering the state. The Senate passed a bill allowing private citizens to sue corporations or people who mail abortion medication to women in Texas.
Mifepristone and misoprostol are approved for use through 10 weeks of pregnancy.
Texas’ abortion laws prohibit criminalizing or otherwise going after the person who undergoes the abortion.
Texas laws prohibit distribution of abortion-inducing drugs through delivery or mail. Another law prohibits doctors without a Texas medical license from treating patients through telemedicine.
Carpenter is the founder of Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine, a national group that helps doctors in states with shield laws provide telemedicine consultations and abortion pills to patients in states that have banned abortions.
The group was founded after the overturn of Roe v. Wade by Carpenter, Dr. Linda Prine, and Julie Kay, a former ACLU lawyer who successfully argued the case that overturned Ireland’s abortion ban. They support doctors who want to become "shield providers" by advising them on licensure, data security, pharmacy contacts and legality.
New York "Shield Laws"
Gantt's ruling came on the same day that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul refused a request from Louisiana to extradite Carpenter for violating that state's abortion laws.
"We have sent out a law enforcement notice that certain out-of-state warrants are not enforceable in the state of New York," Hochul said. "So anyone who possibly pulls over an individual or is involved in a situation for a doctor who has, but who is protected under our laws is told you are not to cooperate and enforce this extradition."
The Associated Press reports that Carpenter was indicted by a grand jury on charges of criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs, a felony.
Carpenter is accused of prescribing abortion pills to a pregnant minor.
The case against Carpenter in Louisiana appears to be the first instance of criminal charges against a doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills to another state.
Both the Texas and Louisiana cases will test New York’s so-called shield law, which gives legal protections to doctors who prescribe abortion medication to conservative states where abortions are banned or otherwise limited. Other Democratic-controlled states have similar "shield laws."
The Source: Information on New York Attorney General Letitia James' decision to intervene in Texas' lawsuit comes from the New York Attorney General's Office. Ken Paxton's comments come from a post on X. Information on Texas' lawsuit against Dr. Maggie Carpenter and Ulster County clerk Taylor Bruck comes from previous FOX reporting.