New York doctor indicted in Louisiana for prescribing abortion pills
NY doctor indicted for mailing abortion pills
A New York doctor has been indicted by a Louisiana grand jury for allegedly prescribing an abortion pill online. Dr. Margaret Carpenter and her company, Nightingale Medical were charged on Friday.
NEW YORK - A New York doctor, Dr. Margaret Carpenter, has been indicted by a Louisiana grand jury for allegedly prescribing abortion pills online in a state with strict abortion laws.
This case marks a significant legal challenge following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, as it tests the boundaries of state and federal laws regarding abortion access.
What we know:
Dr. Margaret Carpenter, along with her company Nightingale Medical, PC, and a third person, has been indicted by a Louisiana grand jury for criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs. This indictment is the first known instance of criminal charges against a doctor for sending abortion pills to another state since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Supreme Court preserves access to abortion pill
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously to preserve access to mifepristone, the drug most commonly used in medication abortions. The nine justices found that abortion opponents lacked the legal right to sue over the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the medication and its subsequent actions to ease restrictions on its access.
Louisiana's abortion ban
The backstory:
Louisiana has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, with no exceptions for rape or incest. The state recently reclassified mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled dangerous substances, requiring medical personnel to follow additional steps to access them. The law imposes severe penalties on physicians convicted of performing illegal abortions, including those involving pills.
Under the legislation, if someone knowingly possesses mifepristone or misoprostol without a valid prescription for any purpose, they could be fined up to $5,000 and sent to jail for one to five years.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill emphasized the state's commitment to enforcing its abortion laws. Meanwhile, the Abortion Coalition of Telemedicine, co-founded by Carpenter, criticized the indictment as part of a broader pattern of interference with women's rights.
Abortion laws in New York
New York officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, have vowed to defend the state's shield laws protecting out-of-state providers.
"I will never, under any circumstances, turn this doctor over to the state of Louisiana," Hochul said in a recorded statement.
The indictment could test New York's shield laws, designed to protect prescribers using telehealth to provide abortion pills in states where abortion is banned.
By the numbers:
Abortion pills have become the most common method of abortion in the U.S., accounting for nearly two-thirds of all abortions by 2023. The legal and political battles over these medications continue to shape the national conversation on abortion rights.
What's next:
The case against Dr. Carpenter will likely proceed through the legal system, potentially setting a precedent for how states can enforce their abortion laws across state lines. The outcome may influence future legal strategies and the protection of abortion rights in the U.S.
The Source: This article is a rewritten report from the Associated Press