New York Court Dismisses Texas Bid to Enforce Abortion Pill Judgment

A New York judge dismissed Texas' attempt to enforce a $113,000 civil judgment against Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a New York physician accused of prescribing abortion pills to a Texas patient. The ruling emphasized that Carpenter's telemedicine abortion services are legal and protected under New York's shield law, which prevents public officials from aiding out-of-state investigations or civil actions targeting reproductive health care lawful in New York. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sought to compel the Ulster County clerk to file the Texas judgment, but the clerk refused, citing the shield law. The case marked a significant constitutional confrontation over states' telehealth shield laws following the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. New York Attorney General Letitia James intervened to defend the shield law's constitutionality. The court's decision affirms the state's commitment to protecting abortion providers from enforcement efforts by states with abortion bans, highlighting tensions between states over abortion access and legal jurisdiction.