California physician faced with legal action by Texas male companion for mailing abortion medication to his girlfriend
As the debate over abortion rights continues to rage across the United States, a new lawsuit filed in Texas sheds light on the complex and contested legal landscape surrounding the interstate mailing of abortion pills.
In a federal lawsuit, a Galveston County man, Jerry Rodriguez, has accused a California doctor, Dr. Remy Coeytaux, of mailing abortion-inducing pills to his pregnant girlfriend at the direction of her estranged husband. The woman, currently pregnant, fears she will be pressured to terminate the current pregnancy and obtain abortion pills from Dr. Coeytaux.
This case is reminiscent of a case filed in a Texas court in 2023, where a New York doctor, Dr. Maggie Carpenter, was ordered to pay $100,000 and granted a permanent injunction for prescribing abortion pills to a Texas resident. Texas laws prohibit the distribution of abortion-inducing drugs through delivery or mail.
Currently, the Senate bill aimed at criminalizing the mailing of abortion pills has not been filed, despite being listed as one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's priority bills for the Senate during the session as Senate Bill 8. The bill was refiled in the House as House Bill 37 for the current special session. During the last legislative session, state lawmakers attempted to increase the penalties for distributing and facilitating the distribution of abortion pills from out-of-state sources, but the bill failed to pass.
The legal landscape surrounding this issue is fraught with complexity. The federal Comstock Act (1873) bans the mailing of "any article or thing designed or intended for producing abortion," but its enforceability is uncertain. Anti-abortion advocates have invoked it to challenge the mailing of abortion pills like mifepristone and misoprostol, but the Biden administration’s Department of Justice views the Act as applicable only when the sender intends an illegal abortion, which is difficult to determine because abortion remains legal in some states and for certain medical indications nationwide.
The patchwork of state laws further complicates the issue. As of mid-2025, 12 states have bans on abortion and restrict or prohibit mailing abortion pills, while other states, including California, have "shield laws" protecting providers who mail pills across state lines. This state-level discrepancy creates legal uncertainty, with ongoing federal litigation potentially defining future legal boundaries.
The increased use of telehealth for abortion pill prescriptions further complicates jurisdiction, as prescriptions can cross state lines, and states differ in their acceptance or prohibition of telehealth abortion services.
Individuals seeking or providing abortion pills via mail across states should be aware of the abortion laws of both the sender’s and recipient’s states, potential federal legal risks under the Comstock Act, and the evolving status of court rulings and administrative policies on telehealth abortion.
As the legal landscape remains fluid, with active court cases and legislative efforts shaping access to mailed medication abortion, it is crucial for all parties involved to stay informed and seek legal counsel to navigate this complex and sensitive issue.
[1] Guttmacher Institute. (2023). State Policies in Brief: Mailing Medication Abortion. Retrieved July 2025, from https://www.guttmacher.org/state-policy/explainer/mailing-medication-abortion
[2] National Women's Law Center. (2023). Medication Abortion Access. Retrieved July 2025, from https://nwlc-ciw49tixgw5lbab.stackpathdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Medication-Abortion-Access-Fact-Sheet.pdf
[3] Planned Parenthood. (2023). Medication Abortion. Retrieved July 2025, from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/abortion/the-abortion-pill
[4] American Civil Liberties Union. (2023). Reproductive Freedom. Retrieved July 2025, from https://www.aclu.org/issues/reproductive-freedom
- The debate on abortion rights, previously focused on the rights within individual states, has expanded to cover the interstate mailing of abortion pills, as demonstrated in a Texas lawsuit.
- While some states, like California, have laws protecting the mailing of abortion pills, other states, such as Texas, have outlawed their distribution through delivery or mail.
- The complexities in this issue are further compounded by the patchwork of state laws, federal legislation, and the Comstock Act of 1873, which bans the mailing of articles intended for producing abortion.
- In light of the evolving legal landscape and ongoing federal litigation, individuals involved in the mailing of abortion pills across states should seek legal counsel and be aware of the applicable laws in both the sender’s and recipient’s states.
