JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri public defenders say they expect some women to be charged with felonies for abortions under a new law.
The law is set to take effect Aug. 28 and makes it a felony to perform abortions at or after eight weeks of pregnancy with exceptions for medical emergencies.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that public defender Comptroller K. Kathleen Lear in a memo wrote that could mean women who receive medication abortions face felony charges.
Critics have argued the law will target women who go out of state for a medication abortion, then take the pill in Missouri. Republican lawmakers who drafted the bill disagree.
It's unclear if prosecutors would press charges. Associated Press requests for comment to the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys were not immediately returned Friday.
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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com