California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vowed to block the extradition of a Bay Area doctor to Louisiana — where the physician could face up to 50 years in prison for allegedly mailing abortion pills to the Bayou State.
The Democratic governor Wednesday said extraditing the doc would violate an executive order he signed in 2022 barring state agencies in his administration from assisting other states’ efforts to prosecute abortion providers.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is vowing to block the extradition of a local abortion doc to Louisiana to face charges in a case. REUTERS“We will not allow extremist politicians from other states to reach into California and try to punish doctors based on allegations that they provided reproductive health care services,” the gov said.
“Not today. Not ever.”
Dr. Remy Coeytaux was indicted for allegedly mailing abortion-inducing pills to a pregnant woman in violation of Louisiana law, and the state’s attorney general, Liz Murrill, announced her office would proceed with the extradition process.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is at the helm of a state with some of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country. AP
Mifepristone tablets sit on a table at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Ames, Iowa, July 18, 2024. APA criminal arrest warrant was issued for Coeytaux in May 2024, and Tuesday, Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry authorized his extradition.
“I am signing the extradition paperwork to bring this California doctor to justice,” Landry said in a statement. “Louisiana has a zero-tolerance policy for those who subvert our laws, seek to hurt women, and promote abortion.
“I know Gavin Newsom supports abortion in all its forms, but that doesn’t work in Louisiana. We are unapologetically pro-life.”
Louisiana has some of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country, while California law aims to protect abortion providers from criminal prosecution for treating out-of-state patients.
-With AP
