A Louisiana grand jury has indicted a New York doctor for allegedly prescribing abortion pills online to a pregnant minor, prompting the issuance of an arrest warrant. Louisiana, known for its strict near-total abortion ban, brought charges against Dr. Margaret Carpenter, her medical practice Nightingale Medical, PC, and the minor’s mother.
A grand jury in West Baton Rouge Parish charged all three with felony criminal abortion through abortion-inducing medication. The mother, whose identity remains undisclosed to protect the minor, surrendered to authorities on Friday, according to District Attorney Tony Clayton.
This case marks one of the first known instances of a physician facing criminal charges for sending abortion medication across state lines since the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
“We expect Dr. Carpenter to appear in Louisiana and respond to these charges. If a jury finds her innocent, so be it,” Clayton stated.
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul, however, firmly rejected the idea of extraditing Carpenter, declaring in a social media video, “Under no circumstances will I hand this doctor over to Louisiana.”
The case traces back to last year when a Louisiana woman sought abortion medication from Carpenter for her daughter. Clayton said the prescription was issued solely based on an online questionnaire, without any direct consultation. The pills were subsequently mailed to the mother, who then gave them to her daughter.
The minor later experienced medical complications while alone, prompting her to call emergency services. A responding officer discovered the use of abortion medication, leading to an investigation that identified Carpenter as the provider. The girl’s exact stage of pregnancy remains unclear.
Clayton emphasized the severity of the matter, stating, “The mother has already been arrested, but the doctor who mailed these pills knowing they would be taken by a minor must also be held accountable.”
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Carpenter previously faced a lawsuit from Texas’ attorney general over similar accusations, though that case did not result in criminal charges. She has not yet commented on the Louisiana indictment.
The legal action follows Louisiana’s move last year to classify abortion medications mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled substances, requiring additional steps for medical access. Under the law, possessing these drugs without a prescription carries penalties of up to $5,000 in fines and up to five years in prison. However, pregnant individuals who take the medication themselves are exempt from prosecution.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill reaffirmed the state's hardline stance: “We will enforce the law and hold violators accountable.”
The indictment has sparked intense debate, with reproductive rights advocates condemning the move. Chasity Wilson of the Louisiana Abortion Fund criticized the charges, warning of efforts to “intimidate doctors who are simply providing necessary healthcare.”
With Louisiana enforcing one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bans—allowing no exceptions for rape or incest—doctors convicted of performing illegal abortions face up to 15 years in prison, $200,000 in fines, and license revocation.
The case may serve as a major test for New York’s shield laws, which protect healthcare providers offering telemedicine-based abortion services to patients in restrictive states. New York Attorney General Letitia James vowed to defend these rights, calling Louisiana’s prosecution an “unjust and un-American” attack on medical professionals.
As abortion pills become increasingly central to reproductive healthcare and legal battles, the outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications.