A midwife and her employee in the Houston area have been arrested and "charged with the illegal performance of an abortion, a second-degree felony in Texas, as well as practicing medicine without a license," Attorney General Ken Paxton announced – marking the first criminal charges under Texas's strict abortion laws.
Maria Margarita Rojas, 48, known locally as "Dr. Maria," and her employee, Jose Ley, served a primarily Spanish-speaking and low-income community.
According to Paxton's Law Enforcement Division, Rojas owned and operated multiple clinics around the Houston area under the names Clinica Waller Latinoamericana, Clinica Latinoamericana Telge, and Latinoamericana Medical Clinic.
"These facilities unlawfully employed unlicensed individuals who falsely presented themselves as licensed medical professionals to provide medical treatment," Paxton said, according to a press release. The Attorney General also filed for a temporary restraining order to shut down the clinics.
Court records obtained by the Texas Tribune show Rojas and Ley attempted an abortion twice on someone identified as E.G. in March. Authorities also claim Rojas performed another abortion earlier this year in Harris County.
Texas law holds abortion providers accountable, not the patients. The procedure is permitted only when necessary to save a pregnant person's life. However, multiple women have already died due to the law's alleged lack of clarity, with medical providers hesitant to provide life-saving care to pregnant women that could be interpreted as an abortion.
Under the current law, providers risk jail time, a fine of at least $100,000 per violation, and the cancellation of their medical licenses.
While prosecutors initially recommended a $1 million bond each for Rojas and Ley, a judge set their bonds at $500,000 each for the abortion charges and an additional $200,000 for practicing without a license. If found guilty, Rojas and Ley face up to 20 years in prison.
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