42 attorneys will not prosecute women who obtain abortions or those who provide care

Between the lines: The Alabama lawyer who wrote the state's restrictive abortion ban, Eric Johnston, expected a lawsuit since the ban goes against Roe v. Wade. The ACLU and the Alabama Women's Center sued Alabama over the ban in May, claiming it "directly conflicts with Roe."

• As reported by NYT's "The Daily," Johnston hopes the ban could be taken to the Supreme Court in a larger fight — but he acknowledges that may not happen.

What they're saying:

"As some elected prosecutors have noted, the broad restrictions in the laws passed by these states appear to be unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade. Many of us share those legal views, but our commitment to not prosecute women who obtain abortions and health care professionals who provide treatment is not predicated on these concerns alone."

Read the full statement:

Go deeper: Where each state stands if Roe v. Wade is overturned

Editor's note: This story has been updated to indicate that 42 attorneys will not prosecute women who obtain abortions, rather than women who seek the procedure.