Advocates make case for Racial Justice Act
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
By Staff
RALEIGH - Spurred by the recent release of three black men from death row, judicial reform advocates called on lawmakers Tuesday to give defendants in capital murder cases the right to challenge their prosecution on racial bias grounds.
The North Carolina Racial Justice Act has sat dormant in a Senate committee since the House voted 68-51 to approve the measure last year. The proposal would allow defendants in death penalty cases to use statistics to claim their conviction or sentence was driven by race.
The state's district attorneys oppose the measure, arguing it could detract from the merits of an individual case. But advocates said the bill is desperately needed to ensure innocent people are not sent to death.
"You can overturn a wrongful conviction, but you can't unpack a wrong grave," said the Rev. William Barber, the president of the state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Since December 2007, three black men — Jonathan Hoffman, Glen Edward Chapman and Levon Jones — have been released from North Carolina's death row. They were among those lobbying lawmakers Tuesday at the Legislative Building. (more…)
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