Louisiana authorities have issued an arrest warrant for Dr. Remy Coeytaux, a physician based in California, accusing him of mailing abortion pills to a woman in Louisiana in 2023. This action is among the few criminal charges brought under Louisiana’s abortion ban, which took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The case highlights growing legal disputes between states with opposing views on abortion access, particularly regarding telehealth prescriptions and mailing of abortion medications across state lines. Medication abortions using pills are now the most common method in the United States.
According to court documents filed on September 19, Rosalie Markezich alleges that her then-boyfriend used her email address to order abortion medication from Dr. Coeytaux and sent her $150 to forward as payment. Markezich stated she had no direct contact with the doctor and claimed she felt compelled to take the pills against her wishes.
“The trauma of my chemical abortion still haunts me,” Markezich said in court filings, adding that it would not have occurred if telehealth prescriptions for mifepristone were restricted.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill commented on the case: “Rosalie is bravely representing many women who are victimized by the illegal, immoral, and unethical conduct of these drug dealers.”
Dr. Coeytaux also faces a separate civil lawsuit in Texas, where he is accused by a man of illegally providing his girlfriend with abortion pills. The combination of criminal proceedings in Louisiana and civil litigation in Texas mirrors similar actions involving other out-of-state doctors.
In another related incident, New York authorities declined to extradite Dr. Margaret Carpenter—a New York-based doctor—to Louisiana or enforce a $100,000 civil judgment sought by Texas officials for prescribing abortion pills across state lines. New York cites its shield law designed to protect medical providers who prescribe such medications to patients residing in states where abortions are banned or telehealth prescriptions violate local laws.
California and New York are among eight states that have enacted shield laws safeguarding providers from prosecution for prescribing or mailing abortion medication into states with restrictive laws.
This legal confrontation comes as both Louisiana and Texas have recently passed statutes targeting out-of-state providers who supply abortion pills via mail or telemedicine services. Under Louisiana law, physicians convicted of performing abortions can face up to 15 years imprisonment and fines up to $200,000.
Meanwhile, federal authorities including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary have announced comprehensive reviews concerning the safety and effectiveness of mifepristone—the primary drug used for medication abortions since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000.
