Federal judge ends North Carolina ban on abortions after 20 weeks
Source: Reuters
HEALTH NEWS MARCH 26, 2019 / 12:50 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
Federal judge ends North Carolina ban on abortions after 20 weeks
(Reuters) - A U.S. federal court struck down North Carolinas decades-old ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, saying any week- or event-specific abortion ban is unconstitutional.
The law, which took effect in 1973, only allowed an abortion after 20 weeks in the case of a medical emergency. Abortion-rights groups sued in 2016 after the health exception was further narrowed.
U.S. District Judge William Osteen in Greensboro overturned the ban on Monday, allowing an abortion to take place at any point before the fetus is viable, or able to potentially live outside the womb, as determined by a doctor.
His order will take effect in 60 days, allowing the state to appeal, should it decide to do so, or to propose alternative abortion legislation.
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https://www.reuters.com/article/us-north-carolina-abortion/federal-judge-ends-north-carolina-ban-on-abortions-after-20-weeks-idUSKCN1R7263