Louisiana has requested that California extradite Dr. Remy Coeytaux, accusing him of mailing abortion pills to a Louisiana resident in October 2023. He faces charges under a state law criminalizing abortion by medication and could face severe penalties if convicted. The extradition surfaced in filings tied to a federal lawsuit over mifepristone and highlights mounting clashes between abortion-ban states and jurisdictions with shield laws. Related cases in New York and Texas show how interstate conflicts are shaping post-Roe enforcement efforts.
Louisiana Seeks Extradition Of California Doctor Over Alleged Mailing Of Abortion Pills — Escalating Interstate Legal Clash
Louisiana attorney general Liz Murrill speaks to the media during a press conference on 1 January 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.Photograph: Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Louisiana law enforcement officials have asked California to extradite Dr. Remy Coeytaux, alleging he mailed abortion medication to a Louisiana resident in October 2023. The request underscores a growing legal confrontation between states that ban nearly all abortions and jurisdictions that have enacted "shield laws" to protect providers from out-of-state prosecution.
Case Details
State prosecutors have charged Coeytaux under a Louisiana statute that outlaws "criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs." If convicted, he could face fines and as much as 50 years of hard labor. The state first disclosed an arrest warrant for Coeytaux in September when it filed a motion seeking to join a federal lawsuit aimed at restricting access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
"We are going to continue to fight the illegal sending of abortion pills into Louisiana," Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, a Republican, said in a video posted to X. "It's illegal drug trafficking and we will continue to prosecute those doctors and we will also continue to pursue actions against the states that are shielding those doctors."
Allegations And Records
Louisiana prosecutors say Coeytaux mailed pills through Aid Access, an organization that mails abortion medication nationwide. The criminal filing links the arrest warrant to an allegation involving a woman named Rosalie Markezich, who has said her boyfriend obtained pills via Aid Access and coerced her to take them in October 2023. However, records released by the attorney general's office show that the recipient in the disclosed documents does not state she was coerced.
Spokespeople for Attorney General Murrill, Aid Access, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom had not provided immediate comment. The Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal group that has represented Markezich in other matters, also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Broader Context
The extradition request is the latest example of tensions between states that prohibit most abortions and those that have taken steps to protect providers. In late 2024, Texas sued Dr. Margaret Carpenter, a New York-based doctor, for allegedly mailing abortion pills into Texas; New York's shield law has complicated that litigation. Louisiana previously sought Carpenter's extradition from New York, but Gov. Kathy Hochul refused to honor the request.
As legal battles over medication abortion continue, questions about interstate extradition, state criminal statutes, federal challenges to mifepristone and the reach of shield laws are likely to remain central to the dispute.
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