Overview
- A St. Tammany Parish grand jury indicted Dr. Remy Coeytaux on a felony count of criminal abortion by means of abortion‑inducing drugs, carrying a potential sentence of up to 50 years.
- Louisiana alleges Coeytaux mailed mifepristone and misoprostol in 2023 to a Louisiana woman who ordered through Aid Access, and investigators say they confirmed him as the sender.
- Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he sent the extradition paperwork, but California Gov. Gavin Newsom formally denied the request on Wednesday.
- Newsom cited his 2022 executive order and California’s shield laws that protect providers for reproductive care that is legal in California, asserting discretion when alleged conduct occurred in California.
- The dispute follows New York’s refusal to extradite a different doctor sought by Louisiana and coincides with a separate Texas federal lawsuit naming Coeytaux, positioning the case as a test of interstate shield laws.