A doctor from New York, Margaret Carpenter, has been charged in Louisiana for allegedly sending abortion pills to a patient through an online prescription.
Louisiana has very strict abortion laws, and this is the first known case where a doctor is facing criminal charges for sending abortion pills to another state since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022.
Carpenter and her medical company, Nightingale Medical, were charged with felony abortion-related crimes.
She was also previously sued in Texas for similar reasons but did not face criminal charges there.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James have defended Carpenter, saying the case is an attack on healthcare and reproductive rights.
New York has a law meant to protect doctors from being sued for providing abortion care to patients in states where abortion is banned.
Louisiana recently classified abortion pills as “controlled dangerous substances,” meaning there are strict rules for their use.
If someone is caught with these pills without a proper prescription, they could face fines or jail time.
Doctors who perform illegal abortions in Louisiana could lose their medical license and face up to 15 years in prison.
Supporters of abortion rights say this case is part of a bigger effort to restrict women’s access to healthcare.
Meanwhile, abortion opponents continue to push for stricter laws across the U.S.
