Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Dec. 22, 2005, edition 1 / Page 8
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8A €)f)0 NEWS/t[)t C^rlatU Thursday, December 22, 2005 N.C. House panel considers fairness of capital punishment By Steve Hartsoe TfiE ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH - North Carolina’s death penalty system is racially unfair, too B broad, and too costly, witnesses told state lawmakers on Monday Others, testifying before a House study committee, said the system is as fair as is humanly possible. In the coming months, the 20- member House Select Study Committee on Capital Punishment will sort through these and other issues related to the "accuracy and fairness” of North Carolina’s death penalty This includes prosecutorial misconduct and whether any innocent people may be on death row. “If the goal is to have a perfect system when humans are involved, I don’t think you’re going to meet that goal,” C. Branson Vickory HI, president of the N.C. Conference of District Attorneys, told the com mittee on Monday during its first meeting. He said changes to the death penalty system over the past decade have helped cut in half the annual number of capital cases. These changes include giving district attorneys more discretion on whether to seek the death penalty prohibiting the execution of mentally retarded defendante, and more dis closure of evidence between attorneys. “Our role is not to convict but to see that jus tice is done,” said ^^ckory, who represents Wayne, Greene, and Lenoir counties. Others said the system appears to place a disproportionate number of minorities on death row. While whites make up about 70 per cent of the state’s general population, blacks represent neaiiy 13 percent, according to the 2000 U.S. Census. But about 55 percent of death row inmates are bladi while whites account for 35 percent of some 170 people on North Carolina’s death row. Michaux Mckory said the racial makeup of death row inmates is close to the overall makeup of the prison population. He said a lack of education and poverty are to blame for the imbalance. Rep. Mickey Michaux, D-Durham, said he was “bothered” that district attorneys have the authority to decide whether to seek the death penalty He suggested that power could be con tributing to the racial disparity on death row. Experts said juries can differ greatly in their sentencing, even when the facts of a murder trial are similar. Superior Court Judge Narley Cashwell told the panel that he’s presided over nearly identi cal murder trials that ^ded with different sen- t«ices. In a Johnston Coimty trial, white defendants were sentenced to death. In Cumberland County, black defendants got life in prison. “I don’t have an explanation,” Cashwell said. Several speakers said North Carolina should consider narrowingj the scope of its death penalty statute, which would fiuther reduce the number of capital trials that often are later changed to lesser penalties. Committee members said they want more information on several issues, including the reversal rate of the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals — which includes North Carolina _ in death p^alty cases; how many people have been convicted of murder over tiie past 10-15 years; and the jury makeup in the state’s capi tal cases. House Speaker Jim Black, D-Mecklenburg, created the committee when a bill seeking a two-year moratorium on carrying out execu tions during a death penalty study failed to reach a vote. Experts said they welcome the scrutiny the committee will provide. “Most debate has been on whether to have a death penalty or not instead of how to improve it,” said Malcom Ray “lye” Hunter Jr, execu tive director of the state’s Indigent Defense Sovices, which provides legal repres^tation to poor defendants. The General Assembly will take up the panel’s recommendations nert year. 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VA Qreenstxxo, NC 51 30 8 56 36 s 55 37 pc 53 34 8h Roanoke, VA Greenville. SC 55 31 8 57 35 8 56 39 pc 54 37 sh Savannah. GA KnojOflHe, TN 51 29 8 54 33 8 51 37 8h 49 33 sh Wimington. NC Lynchburg. VA 44 23 8 54 29 8 52 33 pc 46 30 r VMnston-Salem. NC U.$. Cities Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday City Hi Lo W Hi Lo W Hi Lo W Hi Lo W City Atlanta 55 37 8 56 40 8 56 41 sh 54 39 sh Miam Boston 32 22 8 42 32 c 46 34 c 43 32 r Minneapolis Chicago 38 26 pc 42 30 sh 38 28 8f 36 28 sf New Orleans Cleveland 36 26 pc 42 32 sh 42 32 sn 40 30 c New Idrk City Dad as 64 47 8 64 44 pc 62 42 pc 62 42 8 Orlando Denver 60 32 pc 56 30 pc 58 30 pc 58 28 8 Pittsburgh Detrot 34 26 pc 40 30 sh 36 28 sn 36 28 pc Phoenix Houston 64 46 $ 68 52 sh 70 46 sh 66 44 8 San Franasco Kansas City 54 35 8 56 31 pc 47 29 r 50 31 pc Seattle Los Angelss 70 52 pc 74 54 8 76 54 8 78 54 8 Washington. 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The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Dec. 22, 2005, edition 1
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