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First Cases Filed Under North Carolina's Racial Justice Act

By Steve Hall

The measure was passed by the North Carolina General Assembly and signed into law last year.  Those who have already been convicted must file a claim by August 10.  The law also has an impact on current and future trials. The News & Observer reports, "Five death row inmates seek new sentences, claim racial bias."  It's written by Sarah Ovaska and Anne Blythe. Five death row inmates filed motions this morning challenging their death sentences on the basis of racial bias, the first test of a ground-breaking law passed last year by the state legislature that allows inmates to challenge their sentences on the basis of race. All five inmates -- Kenneth Rouse in Randolph County, Guy LeGrande in Stanly County, Shawn Bonnett in Martin County, Jeremy Murrell in Forsyth County, and Jathiyah Al-Bayyinah of Davie County -- are black men convicted of killing white victims...continue to full post

Full post as published by StandDown Texas Project on August 06, 2010 (boomark / email).