Louisiana’s Pro-Life Laws Put To The Test

As of August 1st, 2022, it is illegal for someone to provide an abortion in the state of Louisiana. Two years later, the state would also place the medications mifepristone and misoprostol on the list of controlled substances for their commonplace use as an abortion drug.

For the first time now in American history, a doctor has been charged with sending abortion pills to another state, and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is looking to charge them.

Louisiana A.G. Liz Murrill Has Signed For Extradition of New York Doctor

Dr. Maragaret Carpenter of New York is alleged to have prescribed a pregnant Louisiana teenager abortion pills through her mother over the Internet. The prosecutors believe that the teen's mother encouraged her daughter to take the medication. The mother and daughter have yet to have personal details shared by authorities to protect the minor's identity. Still, a warrant was issued for the mother's arrest, to which she turned herself in to the police.

Dr. Carpenter, the mother, and the teenager have all been charged with the felony of "criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs," which carries a possible sentence of 1 to 5 years and/or a fine of $5,000 to $50,000.

On Wednesday, February 12th, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced on X that she had signed off on the extradition of Dr. Margret Carpenter, putting to the test the strength of Lousiana's anti-abortion laws across state lines where abortion laws are much more lax compared to Louisiana, where the only legal access to abortion is a to terminate a pregnancy conceived through incest or rape.

New York's New Shield

Last month, when these charges were first brought to light, Governor of New York Kathy Hochul pledged to protect Dr. Carpenter from extradition and has continued to reject attempts under New York's shield law.

The shield law is supposed to protect doctors and other healthcare providers from prosecutors in other states who enforce laws that aren't recognized by the doctor's state of practice.