Governor Ends Racial Justice Act
Passed after many years of work by advocates for an improved justice system in North Carolina, the Racial Justice Act was signed into law by former Gov. Bev Perdue in 2009.
Based on evidence that convictions and death sentences had long been skewed by racial bias – by the race of the perpetrator and that of the victim, and by the makeup of juries chosen by prosecutors – the law allowed prisoners to challenge their sentences by showing statistical evidence that their cases had been tainted.
The law was considered a model for the nation by advocates for both racial justice and judicial reform, but was fiercely opposed by prosecutors – and by virtually every Republican legislator and state official.
On June 19, Gov. Pat McCrory signed a bill abolishing the Racial Justice Act. It is almost certain that the repeal will quickly revive the use of the death penalty in our state.
