N. Carolina Revokes Racial Justice Law

Since 2009 it has been illegal to sentence someone to death based on race in North Carolina. But, since that meant anyone could virtually appeal their death sentence arguing racial discrimination, the law was really getting in the way of North Carolina’s capital punishment, and the state’s Republican lawmakers were not having that. So, thanks to the now-Republican-controlled legislature, coupled with newly elected Republican Gov. Pat McCroy, the Racial Justice Act is no more. McCrory signed a complete repeal of the law Wednesday, stating that “the state’s district attorneys are nearly unanimous in their bipartisan conclusion that the Racial Justice Act created a loophole to avoid the death penalty and not a path to justice.”