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Texas Midwife Arrested in First Criminal Case Under State's Near-Total Abortion Ban

Maria Margarita Rojas faces charges of illegal abortion and practicing medicine without a license, with additional charges under investigation.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton appears at a pretrial hearing in his securities fraud case before state District Judge Andrea Beall, Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at Harris County Criminal Courts at Law in Houston.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a news conference in Dallas, June 22, 2017.
FILE - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office, May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
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Overview

  • Maria Margarita Rojas, a Houston-area midwife, has been arrested for allegedly performing illegal abortions and operating without a medical license.
  • This is the first criminal case brought under Texas' near-total abortion ban, which prohibits abortion except in limited cases to save the life of a pregnant patient.
  • Rojas allegedly ran clinics in Waller, Cypress, and Spring, employing unlicensed individuals who posed as licensed medical professionals.
  • The Texas Attorney General's Office, led by Ken Paxton, is pursuing the case and seeking to shut down Rojas' clinics through a temporary restraining order.
  • The case, referred by Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore, is expected to proceed to a grand jury for indictment, with additional charges anticipated.