BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — In a groundbreaking legal battle spanning multiple states, a Louisiana woman entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday for a felony charge. She is accused of obtaining abortion pills from a doctor in New York and providing them to her teenage daughter to terminate a pregnancy. The woman’s arraignment marks a significant development as it may be the first case involving criminal charges against a doctor for transmitting abortion pills across state lines, highlighting the conflict between Louisiana’s strict abortion laws and New York’s protective legislation.
Earlier this year, a grand jury in West Baton Rouge indicted the 39-year-old woman on charges of criminal abortion using abortion-inducing drugs, a felony offense. To safeguard the minor’s identity, she has not been named by The Associated Press. This indictment came after Louisiana reclassified mifepristone and misoprostol, a medication combination commonly used to end pregnancies up to the 10th week, as controlled substances.
Despite the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists confirming the safety and efficacy of mifepristone and misoprostol, the legal landscape surrounding abortion remains contentious. The prevalence of online prescriptions for abortion pills has contributed to a rise in abortion rates in the U.S. following restrictions imposed at the state level after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
District Attorney Tony Clayton stated that the woman had obtained abortion medication from Dr. Margaret Carpenter in New York through an online request for her daughter. The pills were sent to the woman, who then instructed her daughter to take them, leading to a medical emergency. Upon discovery of the pills, law enforcement launched an investigation, ultimately leading to indictments against both the woman in Louisiana and Dr. Carpenter in New York.
The Louisiana law imposes severe penalties, including up to 15 years in prison, substantial fines, and loss of medical license for physicians found guilty of performing illegal abortions. Following the indictment, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry requested Dr. Carpenter’s extradition, which was refused by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
Meanwhile, in a separate legal action, Texas State District Judge Bryan Gantt imposed a $100,000 penalty on Dr. Carpenter for allegedly violating Texas law by providing abortion medication via telemedicine.
