New York Governor Kathy Hochul denied an extradition request for Dr. Margaret Carpenter. A Louisiana grand jury indicted the OBGYN for prescribing abortion pills to a pregnant minor. The charges were brought against the clinician after the minor experienced a medical emergency and was hospitalized. However, Gov. Hochul has stated that she will not honor the extradition request and has signed legislation allowing prescribers to list their practice names rather than their names on prescription bottles.
Louisiana, where the charges originated, has some of the strictest abortion laws in the country, with providers facing up to 15 years in prison and fines up to $200,000. Abortion is completely illegal, with exceptions made only for cases where the procedure is necessary to save the woman’s life or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. In October 2024, Louisiana became the first state to classify the abortion-inducing drugs mifepristone and misoprostol as Schedule IV controlled dangerous substances. In that same year, Dr. Carpenter mailed the abortion pills after receiving an online request through a questionnaire.
After taking the prescribed pills, the pregnant minor experienced complications and was rushed to the hospital. Authorities launched an investigation, tracing the prescription back to Dr. Carpenter, which led to her indictment. The pregnant child’s mother has come forward and has been arrested for knowingly providing abortion-inducing drugs to her daughter in violation of state law. Dr. Carpenter was also sued in Texas for allegedly prescribing abortion pills to a Texas resident via telemedicine, resulting in a fine of over $100,000 and an injunction against providing abortion medication to Texas residents.
Gov. Hochul’s decision highlights the ongoing legal tensions between states over abortion laws. With Louisiana enforcing some of the strictest restrictions in the country, New York is taking steps to protect providers from out-of-state prosecution. “I will never, under any circumstances, turn this doctor over to the state of Louisiana under any extradition requests,” Hochul stated, signaling a broader legal debate over how far state laws can extend beyond their borders.
SOURCES
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-new-york-louisiana-b9d6a0c821fc444a609cf5cde70efaaa
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pills-new-york-hochul-12dc697d30967808aed9c3e4db2b1ff2