In Texas, Paxton mounted an aggressive defense to try to prevent Cox from having an abortion. He sent three Houston hospitals letters warning of legal consequences — both criminal and civil — if they allowed Cox’s physician to provide the procedure. He also argued that Cox had not demonstrated that her life was at imminent risk, including noting that she was sent home after her multiple visits to emergency rooms.
Cox had cesarean surgeries during her first two pregnancies. Her lawsuit argued that inducing labor would carry a risk of a uterine rupture because of her prior C-sections, and that another one at full term would would endanger her ability to carry another child. But Paxton contended those arguments still fell short.
Absolute fucking ghouls
We’d need a Fugitive Slave Act at the national level to reach this kind of crisis. As it stands, I think the more realistic scenario is a woman traveling across state lines to seek an abortion and then being arrested in the criminalizing state on her return on the grounds that she illegally accessed public infrastructure or committed some kind of perjury or failed to comply with some statute before her departure. Alternatively, someone undergoing a pharmaceutical abortion being indicted, then fleeing to a free state and being called back via extradition.
Per the WaPo, Pharmacies share medical data with police without a warrant, inquiry finds. So I can see - say - Ken Paxton combing through state medical records in order to find high profile cases to prosecute.