Racial Justice Act

State Senate Votes To Repeal Racial Justice Act

Jessica Jones — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 21:03:30 +0000

State senators have voted to repeal a historic law passed in 2009 that allows death row inmates to use statistical evidence of racial bias to challenge their sentences.

Publicizing Gun Permit Records: The Struggle Between The First And Second Amendment

Nicole Campbell and Frank Stasio — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:31:24 +0000

In North Carolina, when you purchase a handgun, your gun permit goes into the state's public records. Recently, however, Republican lawmakers have sponsored a bill that would remove this information from public access. Today on The State of Things we speak with local experts about the struggle between the first and second amendment.

Judge Commutes Three Death Row Sentences

Leoneda Inge — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 12:55:00 +0000

Three death row inmates had their sentences commuted yesterday to life in prison. A Cumberland County judge said race wrongly played a role in the jury selection for their cases.

Tilmon Golphin, Christina Walters and Quintel Augustine were on death row for killing five people – three of them law enforcement officers. Scott Bass is Executive Director of “Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation.” He was in court when Superior Court Judge Greg Weeks re-sentenced the three inmates.

Lawmakers Override Racial Justice Veto

Jessica Jones — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 22:15:00 +0000

State lawmakers have overridden the governor's veto of a bill that waters down the Racial Justice Act. The Act, passed in 2009, allows death row prisoners to challenge their sentences based on statistical evidence of discrimination. The new bill will limit the time frame and scope of statistics that inmates can use to challenge their sentences. Republican House Majority Leader Paul Stam thinks that's reasonable.

Republican Lawmakers Plan Racial Justice Veto Override

Jessica Jones — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Republican legislative leaders are expected to try to override the governor's veto of a measure that would water down the Racial Justice Act. The Act, passed in 2009, allows death row prisoners to appeal their sentences using statistical evidence of discrimination.

Governor Vetoes Bill That Rolls Back Racial Justice Act

Jessica Jones — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:00:00 +0000

Governor Bev Perdue has vetoed legislation that would roll back the Racial Justice Act.

Bill Rewriting Racial Justice Act Passes House

Jessica Jones — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 10:10:00 +0000

House lawmakers have passed a bill that would rewrite the state's Racial Justice Act.

Jessica Jones: House lawmakers passed the controversial measure by a veto-proof 72 to 47 after a long debate yesterday afternoon. The bill would narrow the use of statistics that death row inmates could use to show that racial bias was a factor in their cases. It would also narrow the time frame inmates could use to prove bias. House Majority Leader Paul Stam is a sponsor of the bill.

Bill Advances That Would Strip Racial Justice Act

Jessica Jones — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 10:05:00 +0000

A bill that would strip away much of the state's landmark Racial Justice Act passed a state House panel today.

Death Row Sentence Changed Under Racial Justice Act

Gurnal Scott — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:40:00 +0000

Advocates of the state's Racial Justice Act are hailing a judge's ruling today that race was a factor in a death row inmate's jury selection. Marcus Robinson was sentenced in 1994 for murder. Superior Court Judge Gregory Weeks ruled that prosecutors in the trial disqualified potential black jurors more often than others. Stephen Dear with People of Faith Against the Death Penalty says he thinks this decision shows that bias has played a role in convictions.

Racial Justice Act Hearing Begins Today

Jessica Jones — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:05:00 +0000

The state's first Racial Justice Act hearing will get underway today in Cumberland County.