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Texas Challenges Shield Laws in $250,000 Lawsuit Against NY Doctor for Telemedicine Abortion Pills

Dec 13, 2024, 08:15 PM

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Margaret Daley Carpenter, a New York physician, for allegedly prescribing abortion pills to a Texas resident via telemedicine, in violation of Texas state law. The lawsuit, filed in Collin County, Texas, marks the first legal challenge to shield laws in Democratic-controlled states designed to protect such prescriptions. Paxton seeks up to $250,000 in monetary relief, asserting that Carpenter's actions led to serious complications for the patient, requiring medical intervention. This case sets up a legal battle between Texas' near-total abortion ban and New York's shield law, which aims to protect doctors from out-of-state prosecution. The lawsuit does not involve criminal charges but focuses on civil penalties for violating Texas' abortion regulations.