US appeals court rules North Carolina's 20-week abortion ban is unconstitutional
Fox News
A unanimous three-judge panel in a federal appeals court upheld a lower-court ruling that North Carolina's ban on abortion after 20 weeks is unconstitutional, a blow to abortion opponents in one of many such cases currently percolating through federal courts.
The lower court in the North Carolina case ruled that the 20-week threshold would make some pre-viability abortions illegal, which would be in violation of the landmark Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey, it said. North Carolina appealed, arguing that the abortion providers behind the suit did not have standing to bring it because the state didn't enforced its abortion laws in the past. But the court said that because there was no evidence the abortion providers had actually performed illegal abortions, "we cannot assume the State's acquiescence in violations of the law." 4th Circuit North Carolina ... by Fox NewsMore Related News