Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a legal petition in New York, seeking to compel acting Ulster County Clerk Taylor Bruck to enforce a Texas civil judgment against Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a New York-licensed physician.
Paxton’s petition comes after Bruck twice refused to uphold a ruling from a Texas judge requiring Dr. Carpenter to pay $100,000 in civil penalties for prescribing abortifacient drugs to a Texas woman.
“Dr. Carpenter is a radical abortionist who must face justice, not get legal protection from New York liberals intent on ending the lives of as many unborn children as they can,” said Paxton.
“No matter where they reside, pro-abortion extremists who send drugs designed to kill the unborn into Texas will face the full force of our state’s pro-life laws.”
The prescribed drugs not only ended the life of the unborn child, but also caused complications for the mother that required medical intervention.
In December 2024, Paxton filed suit against Dr. Carpenter. After she failed to appear in court, Collin County District Judge Bryan Gantt issued a default judgment requiring her to pay $100,000 in civil penalties.
However, Bruck refused to file the civil judgment in New York. Bruck based his refusals—one in March and another in early July—on New York’s laws shielding medical providers from legal consequences imposed by other states.
Meanwhile, Gov. Greg Abbott has included further protections for the unborn on his special session agenda.
Several pieces of legislation have been filed in the House to further protect unborn children and their mothers, but they have not been heard or referred to committees yet.
Individual measures would create a civil liability for distributing abortifacient drugs, prohibit assisting a minor to obtain an abortion, and grant unborn children equal legal protection under Texas criminal and civil law from the moment of fertilization.
The special session began July 21. Lawmakers have up to 30 days to pass legislation.
No ads. No paywalls. No government grants. No corporate masters.
Just real news for real Texans.
Support Texas Scorecard to keep it that way!
