Texas Midwife Arrested in First Criminal Case Under State's Near-Total Abortion Ban
Maria Margarita Rojas faces charges of illegal abortion and practicing medicine without a license, with additional charges under investigation.
- Maria Margarita Rojas, a Houston-area midwife, has been arrested for allegedly performing illegal abortions and operating without a medical license.
- This is the first criminal case brought under Texas' near-total abortion ban, which prohibits abortion except in limited cases to save the life of a pregnant patient.
- Rojas allegedly ran clinics in Waller, Cypress, and Spring, employing unlicensed individuals who posed as licensed medical professionals.
- The Texas Attorney General's Office, led by Ken Paxton, is pursuing the case and seeking to shut down Rojas' clinics through a temporary restraining order.
- The case, referred by Waller County District Attorney Sean Whittmore, is expected to proceed to a grand jury for indictment, with additional charges anticipated.