North Carolina’s ban on most abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court found on Wednesday, upholding a lower-court ruling. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, on Wednesday ruled (pdf) the state’s blanket ban is unconstitutional because it prohibits some pre-viability abortions, which would violate the landmark Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey. It upheld a 2019 lower-court decision striking down the prohibition, which has been on the books since the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling in 1973. The lawsuit was filed in 2016 by three doctors and a Planned Parenthood affiliate after the Republican-dominated legislature in 2015 narrowed the scope of medical emergencies under which a woman would be exempt from the 20-week limit. It allowed only “qualified physicians” to perform abortions, and required that women must observe a 72-hour waiting period before obtaining …