Louisiana Opens Second Case Against New York Doctor Who Mailed Abortion Pills

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced on Monday that the state has launched a second investigation into New York-based physician Margaret Carpenter for allegedly mailing abortion pills into the state.

The announcement came during Murrill’s testimony before the state’s House Civil Law and Procedure Committee in support of a new anti-abortion bill. “We’re not going to stop trying to extradite [Carpenter] and prosecute her for the crimes that she’s committing in our state,” she said. The anti-abortion bill would allow family members to sue doctors, pharmacists, and drug companies if they believe someone close to them obtained an abortion. The bill specifically targets those who “facilitate” abortions, aiming to make it easier to pursue out-of-state providers who mail abortion medication into Louisiana.

This latest investigation is an escalation of legal action taken by the state earlier this year. In February, a Louisiana grand jury indicted Carpenter and issued a warrant for her arrest in a separate case involving the alleged mailing of abortion medication to a Louisiana resident. However, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) pledged never to approve her extradition, citing the state’s “shield laws.”

“Anti-choice zealots can file as many cases as they want. In New York, we protect our providers,” Hochul recently wrote on X. “Let me be clear: we will never comply with Louisiana’s extradition request. Not now, not ever.”

Louisiana is not the only state targeting Carpenter. Texas has also filed a lawsuit against Carpenter, alleging she violated the state’s anti-abortion laws by mailing abortion pills into the state. However, a court clerk in New York refused to enforce a Texas court judgment of over $100,000 against her, also citing the state’s shield law. “In accordance with the New York State Shield Law, I have refused this filing and will refuse any similar filings that may come to our office,” the clerk said in a statement.

Tensions between states have risen in recent months as anti-abortion states have increasingly attempted to regulate abortion beyond their own borders. Earlier this year, Murrill warned Carpenter to “be careful with her travel plans.” In a statement to the Louisiana Illuminator, Murrill suggested that Carpenter could be arrested if she traveled to a Republican-controlled state.

Trump officials have also indicated they may collaborate with anti-abortion states to crack down on abortion providers in shield states. In February, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi met with Murrill and other senior Louisiana law enforcement officials, during which the case against Carpenter was discussed. West Baton Rouge District Attorney Tony Clayton, who filed charges against Carpenter and a Louisiana woman, reportedly told Bondi, “We’re gonna need your help,” to which Bondi replied, “I would love to work with you.”

Shreveport police also appear to be targeting the couple who self-managed the abortion, working with the attorney general’s office to investigate the case. Murrill’s testimony indicates that the investigation may have been triggered after the couple sought medical care. Research by Pregnancy Justice indicates that investigations into self-managed abortions are often initiated by health care providers, and that pregnancy criminalization has increased since the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022.

“In post-Dobbs America, being pregnant places people at increased risk, not only of dire health outcomes, but of arrest,” said Lourdes A. Rivera, president of Pregnancy Justice.