Montgomery County, Maryland, State鈥檚 Attorney John McCarthy issued a statement saying his office will 鈥渘ot participate鈥� in the extradition of anyone traveling to Maryland to obtain abortions.
McCarthy also said his office won鈥檛 cooperate with efforts to identify providers in the state.
The declaration comes weeks after the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and after McCarthy was asked about the issue by members of the public.
McCarthy said he has not been approached by other states that might seek to prosecute women for traveling to Maryland for abortion care.
“I don鈥檛 know how a state would have the legal authority to do that,” McCarthy said.
鈥淚f somebody lived in Maryland and they drove to Roanoke, Virginia, and committed armed robbery, there鈥檚 no mechanism by which I could ever have jurisdiction over that armed robbery,鈥� he said, adding it would be under the jurisdiction of the authorities in the state where the crime took place.
And when it comes to abortion, McCarthy said it鈥檚 鈥減erfectly lawful鈥� in Maryland.
McCarthy said his office will use the “full force of the law to continue to protect women鈥檚 rights.”
The Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault issued a statement calling the move 鈥渧ital for survivors seeking abortion,鈥� and urged other prosecutor’ offices across the state to adopt the same policy.
Prince George鈥檚 County State鈥檚 Attorney Aisha Braveboy and Baltimore City State鈥檚 Attorney Marilyn Mosby issued similar 鈥渘oncooperation鈥� policies last month.
