- A New York county clerk refused to file a Texas judgment against Dr. Margaret Carpenter, citing the state’s shield law that protects abortion providers. The case may lead to further litigation.
- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton condemned the refusal, signaling potential further action, while New York officials, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, praised the decision.
- Dr. Carpenter is also facing charges in Louisiana for allegedly prescribing abortion pills to a minor.
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A county clerk in New York refused on Thursday, March 27, to file a $113,000 judgment from Texas against a doctor accused of prescribing abortion pills to a woman near Dallas. This action sets up a potential challenge to laws aimed at shielding abortion providers in states with abortion bans.
What happened?
A Texas judge ordered Dr. Margaret Carpenter, who practices north of New York City, to pay the penalty for allegedly violating Texas law by prescribing abortion medication through telemedicine. Last week, the attorney general’s office in Texas requested that a New York court enforce the civil judgment, which includes $113,000 in penalties, attorney fees and filing costs.
Acting Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck refused to file the judgment, citing a shield law in New York that protects medical providers from out-of-state legal actions involving abortion services.
“In accordance with the New York State Shield Law, I have refused this filing and will refuse any similar filings that may come to our office. Since this decision is likely to result in further litigation, I must refrain from discussing specific details about the situation,” Bruck said in a statement.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton responds
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reacted to the refusal on X, vowing to take action.
“New York is shredding the Constitution to hide lawbreakers from justice, and it must end,” Paxton said in the post. “I will not stop my efforts to enforce Texas’s pro-life laws that protect our unborn children and mothers.”
Hochul rejected Louisiana’s extradition request
New York is one of eight states with telemedicine shield laws. The state’s shield laws were recently used in another abortion-related case regarding the same doctor out of Louisiana.
Earlier this year, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, invoked the state’s shield law to reject a request from Louisiana Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, seeking to extradite Dr. Carpenter. The doctor was facing charges in Louisiana for allegedly prescribing abortion pills to a pregnant minor, a crime in the state.
“I will not be signing an extradition order that came from the governor of Louisiana, not now, not ever,” Hochul said.
In January 2025, a Louisiana grand jury indicted Dr. Carpenter for allegedly prescribing mifepristone to a minor. According to prosecutors, a mother in Louisiana ordered the abortion pill from Carpenter for her daughter, a minor, and was later accused of forcing her daughter to take the medication.
Support for Ulster county clerk’s refusal
Gov. Hochul praised Bruck for his refusal to file the Texas judgment, stating, “New York is grateful for his courage and common sense.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James also expressed support for Bruck’s decision, saying her office “will always defend New York’s medical professionals and the people they serve.”
What’s next?
The legal battle between Texas and New York over conflicting abortion laws continues after the New York clerk refused to file the $113,000 judgment against Dr. Carpenter. Paxton is vowing to continue enforcing Texas’ pro-life laws, escalating the ongoing conflict between states with different stances on abortion.
