Blog
Congress Pushes Back of Jeff Sessions' Regressive Approach to Criminal Justice
Republican Senator Rand Paul and Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy have pledged to fight back against Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ vow to seek the longest possible sentences even for non-violent drug offenses. Paul, Leahy, and Democrat Jeff Merkley have introduced the Justice Safety Valve Act, which would allow federal judges the discretion to give out sentences […]
Former Civil Rights Attorney Takes the Lead Towards Becoming Philadelphia's Next DA
It is possible for prosecutors to be champions of progressive criminal justice reform. Larry Krasner, a former civil rights attorney who has never been a prosecutor, has taken the lead to win the Democratic nomination over several experienced prosecutors and a former city manager. He will run against one Republican candidate in the fall. Krasner […]
HB 684: Sex Offender Registry Fee
A bill has been introduced in the House which would require sex offenders to pay an initial registration fee of ninety dollars and an annual registration fee of ninety dollars on the anniversary of the initial registration date. The attorney general would recover delinquent fees in a civil action. Fees would be used to offset […]
NC One Step Closer to Raising the Age
With a 104 to 8 vote, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed the Raise The Age bill. The Senate now has the bill for consideration. The Senate budget does include policy language supporting Raise The Age legislation, however no funds were allocated in the Senate budget. The recently passed House budget includes both language […]
Article Examines Myth That Death Penalty Prosecutes "Worst of the Worst"
In an article written by Gretchen Engle, Executive Director of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation, Engle deconstructs the myth that the death penalty punishes the “worst of the worst” offenders. The article explains that instead, death sentences are imposed in the following ways: As part of an era in which more than three-quarters of […]
Florida Death Row Inmate Exonerated
A man in Florida who was facing two death sentences has been exonerated. Ralph Daniel Wright Jr., a former sergeant, had been previously convicted of murdering his lover and their 15-month-old child in 2007. The Florida Supreme Court held that the evidence was insufficient to sustain the convictions and thus reversed the convictions and vacated […]
NC Medicaid and NC Health Choice Transformation Request for Public Input
Between April 25 and May 25, NC Medicaid and NC Health Choice Transformation will be requesting public input regarding various topics, including increasing access to care and treating substance use disorders. You can download dates, times, and locations of public input sessions.
Court of Appeals Judge Retires Early, Thwarts Court Reduction Plan
North Carolina Court of Appeals Judge Douglas Mc Cullogh has retired early and given Roy Cooper the power to appoint his replacement. This came as a surprise, as he was expected to retire at the end of May. This followed a power struggle over a bill that would reduce the number of Court of Appeals […]
Mecklenburg County Commissioners Approve Resolution to Raise the Age
On Tuesday, May 2nd, Mecklenburg County Commissioners approved a resolution to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction. Mecklenburg County Commissioner Pat Cotham brought the resolution forward with strong bipartisan support.
Raise the Age Press Conference
On May 1, a press conference was hosted by Chief Justice Mark Martin to discuss efforts to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction in North Carolina. Those in attendance included a sampling of judges, attorneys, community and advocacy organizations, DPS officials, and faith leaders. The press conference follows the recent development of North Carolina becoming […]
Death Penalty Champion, Darryl Hunt, Honored with Scholarship by Z. Smith Reynolds
“Darryl Hunt’s spirit spoke innocence,” said Dr. John Mendez of Emmanuel Baptist Church. This was a beautiful and succinct description of Mr. Hunt, who dedicated his life to eradicating the death penalty. He spent 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Once exonerated, he dedicated the remainder of his life to […]
Florida Prosecutor Announces She Will No Longer Seek Death Sentences
Prosecutors have the power to essentially stop the use of the death penalty. How? By pledging not to charge any defendants capitally. It really is that simple. Prosecutors have total control over whether a case is tried as a death penalty case or a case with the maximum punishment of life without the possibility of […]
Wake County Commissioners the Latest Group to Stand in Support of Raising the Age
The Wake County Board of Commissioners is the latest group to join the growing list of supporters for raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction in North Carolina. According to Indy Weekly, the commissioners stressed that teenagers should be allowed to make mistakes that do not follow them the rest of their lives. A bipartisan bill […]
Possible Changes to Recovery and Treatment Courts
Judge Marion Warren, Director of N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to present a plan that proposes to unify NC treatment courts and put them in every judicial district in the State. The plan, entitled Judicially Managed Accountability and Recovery Act (JMARA), proposes to coordinate court, community, and college […]
Brunswick County Get New Nonprofit to Support Reentry
Return with Honor is a new nonprofit in Brunswick County dedicated to creating employment opportunities and training for people who have served in the military and are ex-offenders. Specifically, Return with Honor will hire people who have served in the military to train and mange people who are on house arrest, work release, probation, parole […]