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The case is the first time the court has taken up the shield law, known as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, or PLCAA.

New York has a shield law, however, so the governor and the Attorney General of New York have said they will protect the doctor.

A federal judge dismissed Mexico’s lawsuits based on the shield law, but the appeals court disagreed.

“It’s hard to imagine a suit more clearly barred by” the shield law passed by Congress, said Washington attorney Noel Francisco.

The question now is whether Carpenter will actually face any of these consequences—and whether Texas will be able to take down New York’s shield law, which seeks to spare doctors, patients, and others who help abortion seekers from civil and criminal consequences like these.