by Michelle Sparrow | Apr 13, 2011 | Criminal Defense, Criminal Law Blog
We were talking about House Bill 615, the proposal that would gut North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act. The bill was referred to committee last week but has not been scheduled for discussion or a vote yet. If the bill is passed, inmates who have been convicted of... by Michelle Sparrow | Apr 8, 2011 | Criminal Defense, Criminal Law Blog
The North Carolina House of Representatives referred a controversial bill to committee this week. House Bill 615 is titled “An Act to Reform the Racial Justice Act of 2009 to Be Consistent With the United States Supreme Court’s Ruling in Mccleskey v.... by Michelle Sparrow | Dec 20, 2010 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
Prosecutors in Wake County revealed last week that they will seek the death penalty in their case against the 30-year-old man charged with killing North Carolina state school board member Kathy Taft. Taft was sexually assaulted and beaten to death in March. The formal... by Michelle Sparrow | Sep 2, 2010 | Criminal Defense, Criminal Law Blog
Can things get any worse for the North Carolina court system? Already facing a backlog of cases, the courts can anticipate claims prompted by the State Bureau of Investigation’s questionable practices. And, they have to wade through the claims inmates,... by Michelle Sparrow | Aug 10, 2010 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
Tuesday, August 10 was the last day for inmates to appeal their death sentences under North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act (RJA). The law allows murder defendants to present evidence demonstrating that racial bias played a role in their conviction or denial of...