A Texas midwife was arrested, had an illegal abortion and was charged with practicing medicine without a proper license.
State Attorney General Ken Paxton announced his arrest, but he said it happened earlier this month after an investigation by his office.
Paxton said midwife Maria Margarita Rojas, 49, owns and operates three health clinics in the northwest area of Houston. In a news release, Paxton accused Rojas of doing abortions in Texas’ law-banned clinics, and accused him of employing people who misprove themselves as licensed medical professionals.
The incident appears to be the first Texas health care provider to be criminally charged with abortion since the state’s ban came into effect in 2022.
Abortion is considered a second felony, with a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $10,000. A claim related to a medical license is a three-degree felony.
The clinic did not comment when contacted by phone, and Rojas did not immediately respond to inquiries. Court documents did not list her attorneys.
The document shows that a Waller County district judge first granted a warrant for Rojas’ arrest on March 5th, claiming criminal conspiracy to commit practice medicine. She was booked the following day at the Waller County Jail and was accused of violating the Texas occupation code on March 7th, according to documents. She was later released on a $10,000 bond.
On Monday, Rojas was arrested again. This time he was arrested on charges of abortion and violating the state occupation code, documents show. Documents say these occurred after Rojas’ first arrest.
Waller County District Attorney Sean Whitmore introduced the case to the Attorney General’s Office, the release said. Whitmore’s office told NBC News it expects the Attorney General to handle the prosecutor.
Texas law that made it illegal to provide abortions the US Supreme Court Roev. It was implemented shortly after the Wade was overturned. The policy allows exceptions if doctors determine that ending pregnancy can save the life of a pregnant person or prevent substantial impairment of major physical functions.
Paxton has pledged to enforce a ban targeting providers rather than patients.
“In Texas, life is sacred. I always do everything to protect the unborn child, adhere to the state’s life support laws, and strive to ensure that unlicensed individuals who endanger women’s lives by performing illegal abortions are fully charged,” he said in a statement Monday. “It’s clear that Texas law protects lives, and we hold those who violate it accountable.”
In December, Paxton sued a New York doctor, claiming he had prescribed abortion medication to a patient in Dallas. A Louisiana big ju judge said in January that he indicted the same doctor and prescribed abortion medication. This is the first known example of criminal charges being filed to send pills across state boundaries. The doctor did not speak about the incident as he did not respond to requests for comment at the time.
New York has a so-called shield law that protects state abortion providers who prescribe pills where abortion is prohibited.
