Three months later, authorities charged Yocca with attempted murder, saying the child would be “forever harmed” by injuries from her attempt to abort the fetus. The two other charges she was facing, aggravated assault with a weapon and attempted criminal abortion, were dismissed under the agreement. Lynn Paltrow, executive director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, said prosecutors had used a “vague statute” to pursue an “unconstitutional” case against Yocca. [Tennessee woman who attempted coat hanger abortion faces three new felony charges]Tennessee is one of more than two dozen states that mandate waiting periods on abortions and is home to some of the country’s more stringent abortion restrictions. The state had seven abortion clinics in 2015, according to the News Journal, down from 10 in 2008.

Source: Washington Post January 12, 2017 09:58 UTC