New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Monday that she is intervening in a legal dispute initiated by Texas, defending a New York abortion provider against efforts to enforce an out-of-state judgment.
The case tests the reach of New York’s abortion shield law, which protects local providers from civil or criminal actions brought by authorities in other states.
James framed her involvement as a defense of New York’s sovereignty.
“Texas has no authority in New York, and no power to impose its cruel abortion ban here,” she said in a statement. “Our shield law exists to protect New Yorkers from out-of-state extremists, and New York will always stand strong as a safe haven for health care and freedom of choice.”
“I will fight every last attempt to roll back our rights and turn back the clock on reproductive freedom.”
The dispute centers on Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck, who twice declined to process a court judgment against Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a founder of the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine Access.
Carpenter allegedly mailed abortion medications to a patient in Collin County, Texas, without holding a medical license in that state.
The March civil case imposed a $100,000 penalty and permanently barred Carpenter from sending abortion medications to Texas patients.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has pursued legal action against Bruck for failing to enforce the judgment, the Washington Examiner reports.
In response to James’s intervention, Paxton criticized the New York attorney general on X, writing, “Letitia James is a lawless abortionist who is obsessed with killing babies and weaponizing her office for her political career. I will defeat her in court.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) echoed James’s stance, defending the state against out-of-state enforcement.
Hochul previously blocked a February warrant issued by Louisiana authorities seeking Carpenter’s arrest, highlighting the ongoing friction between states with restrictive abortion laws and those offering legal protections for providers.
James’s intervention comes amid serious allegations that she engaged in mortgage fraud, which has intensified scrutiny against her.
Critics argue that her legal and political actions—including high-profile investigations into corporations and political figures—are clouded by questions about her own legal conduct.
Despite these accusations, James continues to assert that her work is intended to uphold accountability and protect New Yorkers’ rights.
The legal confrontation also arrives shortly after Texas passed legislation enabling private citizens to sue out-of-state abortion providers, reinforcing the state’s near-total abortion ban.
Republican opposition to abortion shield laws has intensified, with 16 GOP attorneys general sending a letter to Congress urging a ban on such protections in blue states.
New York is among eight states that have enacted shield laws since the Supreme Court’s 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade.
The case is expected to draw national attention, with written arguments from James due by Sept. 19.
Legal analysts note that the outcome could set a precedent on the limits of cross-state legal enforcement, the scope of shield laws and the balance between state authority and reproductive rights.
