Teen’s medical abortion puts Louisiana, New York leaders at odds as Landry signs doctor’s extradition order

SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted a video response to “X” explaining the choice of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s decision to indict a physician from New York who is accused of prescribing a chemical abortion pill to a juvenile patient from south Louisiana.

Gov. Landry posted the video on Thursday morning, providing background on the indictment that a Louisiana grand jury handed down in late January. He also announced that he had signed an extradition order to bring the doctor to Louisiana to answer the charges.

Dr. Margaret Carpenter is the physician at the center of the controversy. The doctor and mother of the teen were both indicted because of the state’s near-total abortion ban, which does not give exceptions for cases involving rape or incest.

She is charged with violating La. R.S. 14:87.9(A) and (B)(1) – the offense was committed on or about April 5, 2024.

Extradition order signed by Governor Landry

In his video statement, the governor said, “Yesterday, I signed off on an extradition form, and a warrant was sent to New York at the request of Attorney General Liz Murrill and District Attorney Tony Clayton.”

The governor goes on to explain what the case is about, stating that a teen girl became pregnant and was “excited” about having a baby – even planning a gender reveal – and the girl’s mother “conspired” with Dr. Carpenter to get a chemical abortion pill mailed to her home. According to Governor Landry, the teen ended up in the hospital, and the pregnancy was terminated.

Landry said the state’s only recourse was to prosecute the doctor and arrange for her extradition from New York to Louisiana. However, NBC News contacted New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s office and was told the Governor has yet to receive a warrant, and when they do, “We will obviously not grant it. That is because of the governor’s steadfast support for reproductive rights, but also because even if the governor wanted to, our shield law prohibits extradition from happening.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James said on January 31, after the indictment was announced, “Abortion care is health care. The criminalization of abortion care is a direct and brazen attack on Americans’ bodily autonomy and their right to reproductive freedom. This cowardly attempt out of Louisiana to weaponize the law against out-of-state- providers is unjust and un-American. We will not allow bad actors to undermine our providers’ ability to deliver critical care. Medication abortion is safe, effective, and necessary, and New York will ensure that it remains available to all Americans who need it.”

Louisiana ranks 47th out of 48 states in maternal mortality rates and has the fifth-highest infant mortality rate in the nation, according to a report from the Louisiana Department of Health.