GOP Alabama AG Says He Has Right to Prosecute Women Who Aid Travel for Abortions
Multiple groups filed suit against Steve Marshall after he said ‘abortion funders’ could be criminally investigated
By Zachary Leeman
On August 31, 2023
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, R, says he has the right to charge anyone in the state who helps a woman travel out of state for an abortion with criminal conspiracy charges.
Alabama is one of multiple red states that enacted new abortion restrictions in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade. Abortions in the state are outlawed and only permitted in cases where the mother’s life would be in danger.
In a court filing this week, lawyers for Marshall argued even making travel plans for someone to get an abortion amounts to criminal conspiracy.
“The conspiracy is what is being punished, even if the final conduct never occurs. That conduct is Alabama-based and is within Alabama’s power to prohibit,” the filing for the attorney general reads.
Marshall is looking to dismiss a lawsuit brought against him by two women’s health centers and an abortion rights advocacy group. They argued the attorney general violated their constitutional rights by saying they could be investigated for helping provide travel and plans out of state for abortion care, something the attorney general is sticking by.
Marshall made his comments during a radio show appearance in July.
“If someone was promoting themselves out as a funder of abortions out of state, then that is potentially criminally actionable for us,” he said at the time.
There is a hearing to decide whether to toss the lawsuit set for Tuesday.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, weighed in on the issue on X, making clear his state will not “cooperate” with Alabama and potential charges related to the attorney general’s stance.
“California will NOT cooperate with any state that attempts to prosecute women or doctors for receiving or providing reproductive care,” he wrote.
This piece was republished from The Messenger Politics.