News Update 5.09.07
North Carolina
Yesterday, a House committee voted unanimously to advance a bill that seeks to reduce the effect of race and racism on the death penalty. North Carolina would become only the second state in the nation to offer such protection.
On a related note, the Carolina Justice Policy Center is asking people to contact their legislators and support several death penalty-related bills before the General Assembly.
* House Bill 1291: The NC Racial Justice Act favorably and unanimously passed the NC House Judiciary II committee on Tuesday, May 8th. This bill will allow defendants to provide statistical evidence of racism in capital cases similar to housing and employment discrimination cases to determine if racial bias was a factor in the imposition of the death penalty. I ask that you support this bill when it comes up on the House floor.
* House Bill 341: Proportionality Review considers both capital cases and factually similar cases in which life without the possibility of parole was imposed. It passed favorably in the House Judiciary I committee and I ask for your support when it comes up on the House floor.
* House Bill 787: Eliminate Felony Murder as Death Eligible Offense. This bill is in the NC House Judiciary I committee. I ask for your favorable support of this bill in committee and on the floor. This bill will require life imprisonment without parole for a person convicted of a murder that was not premeditated or deliberate, but committed in the perpetration of a serious felony such as arson, rape, robbery or kidnapping. Currently, men and women sit on death row who were not the ‘triggerman’ and who did not premeditate crimes while the actual ‘triggerman’ received a lesser sentence.
* Senate Bill 1075 / House Bill 553: Prohibit Execution/Severe Mental Disability. These companion bills would prohibit executions for people who are severely mentally disabled and both bills are in the Judiciary I committees in the House and Senate respectively. I ask for your favorable support of this bill in committee and on the floor.
* House Bill 1526: Streamlined & Cost-Effective Capital Case Act. This bill saves state dollars by narrowing the aggravating circumstances that make crimes death eligible and by using valuable state resources on only those cases most likely to result in capital trials under the current system. This bill is in the House Judiciary I committee and I request your favorable support in committee and on the House Floor.
* House Bill 1626: Enhance Reliability of Interrogations. This bill requires “the creation of an electronic record” of the complete interrogation whenever a person is in custody to protect the innocent and to increase the reliability of interrogations. It is in the House Judiciary I committee and I request your support of this bill in committee and on the House Floor.
* House Bill 1691: Suspend Executions Bill. If critical reforms are not passed to address the well known problems in North Carolina’s death penalty system, North Carolinians must demand a formal two year halt to enact these critical reforms. This bill is in the House Judiciary I committee and I request your support in committee and on the floor.
Find out who your representatives are here.
Elsewhere
In California, judge stops trial to encourage federal prosecutors to reconsider seeking the death penalty. It’s the second time in the past year that a judge has spoken out against the Justice Department’s expensive decision to seek death in cases that don’t deserve it.
In Maryland, prosecutor tells jury, “Anything short of the death penalty is not justice.” Jury disagrees.
In Tennessee, courts decide that Philip Workman isn’t entitled to a hearing, but his brother is. Unfortunately, the brother’s hearing will pertain to what should be done with Workman’s body now that he’s dead.
In Texas, missing evidence found – tossed inside a cell that had been welded shut in an abandoned jail. The evidence includes clothing worn by the victims and the defendant, as well as hair, fiber, and blood samples that attorneys say will exonerate their client.
Posted by deathwatch 
