"It's nearly the one-year anniversary of when Texas' anti-abortion attorney general, Ken Paxton, filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit against a New York doctor who allegedly mailed abortion pills to a woman in Texas in 2024. In December, Paxton sued Dr. Margaret Carpenter, claiming she violated Texas's near-total abortion ban, seeking a $113,000 fine and the loss of her license. As of Friday, there's officially been, *checks notes*, absolutely zero wins for Paxton when it comes to his mission to defeat shield laws."
"A quick recap: Paxton's original lawsuit against Carpenter was shot down by Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck in March. After demanding Bruck reconsider, he was, again, shot down by Bruck in July. At the time, the clerk wrote in a statement: "Resubmitting the same materials does not alter the outcome. While I'm not entirely sure how things work in Texas, here in New York, a rejection means the matter is closed.""
"Paxton then threw a fit and submitted a court order against Bruck for refusing to comply. lawsuit was by a New York judge on Friday. "Dr. Carpenter's conduct falls squarely within the definition of 'legally protected health activity,'" Justice David Gandin in his ruling, according to the Times Union . Carpenter's work, he added, was "the precise type of conduct (the shield law) was designed to protect.""
Ken Paxton filed a novel cross-state lawsuit alleging a New York doctor mailed abortion pills to a Texas resident and sought fines and license loss. New York officials repeatedly rejected Paxton's attempts to compel local clerks to cooperate, including Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck denying the filing in March and again in July. Paxton escalated by submitting a court order against the clerk, but a New York judge ruled for the doctor, finding the conduct falls within legally protected health activity and is exactly what the shield law protects. New York AG Letitia James signaled increased intervention and a potential escalated fight over interstate enforcement.
Read at Jezebel
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