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Judge Holds Hearing On Racial Justice Act Cases

A Cumberland County judge held a hearing today for four death row inmates are learning how their cases will proceed under the Racial Justice Act.

Gurnal Scott: The four want their sentences reduced to life without parole. Lawyers say resolving these cases could take years. Lawmakers changed the Racial Justice Act requiring more than just statistical evidence to overturn a death sentence. David Weiss with the Center for Death Penalty Litigation says the only case reviewed so far under the act meets that standard.

David Weiss: In Marcus Robinson's case where Judge Weeks did find that race was a significant factor in the selection of juries, he found statistical evidence supporting that conclusion and Judge Weeks also found evidence in addition to statistical evidence.

Almost all the state's death row inmates are seeking reviews under the act. Today, Judge Weeks also denied a prosecution motion to recuse himself from future Racial Justice Act cases.

Gurnal Scott joined North Carolina Public Radio in March 2012 after several stops in radio and television. After graduating from the College of Charleston in his South Carolina hometown, he began his career in radio there. He started as a sports reporter at News/Talk Radio WTMA and won five Sportscaster of the Year awards. In 1997, Gurnal moved on to television as general assignment reporter and weekend anchor for WCSC-TV in Charleston. He anchored the market's top-rated weekend newscasts until leaving Charleston for Memphis, TN in 2002. Gurnal worked at WPTY-TV for two years before returning to his roots in radio. He joined the staff of Memphis' NewsRadio 600 WREC in 2004 eventually rising to News Director. In 2006, Raleigh news radio station WPTF came calling and he became the station's chief correspondent. Gurnal’s reporting has been honored by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, the North Carolina Associated Press, and the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas.
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