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Will NC's new Racial Justice Act effectively kill the state's death penalty?

By Douglas A. Berman

This interesting local article from North Carolina, which is headlined "New death penalty law concerns Pitt attorney," prompts the question of this post.  The piece provides one local prosecutor's perspective on the likely impact of North Carolina's new Racial Justice Act, and here are excerpts from the start and end of the article: Pitt County's chief prosecutor said an adopted law is an attempt to stop death penalty prosecutions without doing away with the punishment. The Racial Justice Act, signed into law Aug. 11 by Gov. Beverly Perdue, seeks to prevent death sentences ?sought or obtained on the basis of race.? It allows defendants to introduce statistical evidence that shows race was a significant factor in the decision to seek or impose a death sentence...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on August 30, 2009 (boomark / email).