Black, death penalty and North Carolina

Judge finds racial bias tainted jury selection in Black man's death row case
A North Carolina judge ruled Friday that a Black defendant’s capital trial was undermined by allegations of racial bias during jury selection, potentially opening the door to death row inmates throughout the state getting resentenced.
Racial bias tainted jury selection and death sentence for a Black man in North Carolina, judge says
A North Carolina judge has ruled that racial bias tainted jury selection and sentencing in the trial of a Black inmate who was sentenced to death in 2009.
North Carolina judge finds death sentences influenced by racial discrimination
On Friday, a Johnston County judge found that race played a significant role in the death penalty trial of Hasson Bacote, influencing the makeup of the jury along with the decision of the death sentence.
North Carolina judge finds racial bias in landmark death penalty case
The Racial Justice Act allowed people to challenge their death sentences if they could demonstrate race played a role in their trials.
NC judge's ruling opens door for death row prisoners to challenge cases due to racial bias
Bacote spent 15 years on death row before former Governor Roy Cooper commuted his sentence to life without parole in December 2024. Judge Sermons told the court that the ruling in this case means every pending racial justice act case should be handled individually and based on their facts.
North Carolina Judge Rules Racial Bias Played a Role in Conviction of Black Man Who Spent 15 Years on Death Row
Judge ruled prosecutors unlawfully dismissed Black jurors in Hasson Bacote's death penalty case and used racist language like "thug" and "predators of the African plain."
Black Man’s Compromised Capital Trial Could Lead To North Carolina Death Row Inmates Being Resentenced
Death row inmates in North Carolina may be resentenced after a judge ruled last week that Hasson Bacote's capital trial was ...
Race was ‘a significant factor’ in Johnston County death penalty case, NC judge rules
In a 120-page order, Superior Court Judge Wayland Sermons also ruled that race was “a significant factor” in other death ...
Trump wants mandatory death penalty trials. NC tried that and it failed | Opinion
North Carolina is still feeling the adverse impact of the mandatory death penalty prosecution law, despite its repeal. | ...
Eerie death row meal requests - from dirt and one olive to tin of spaghetti
Death Row inmates are given one final request before they die. The Mirror takes a look at the strangest and bizarre prison ...
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North Carolina Judge Finds Racial Bias in Death Penalty in Landmark Case
RALEIGH, N.C. – In a landmark case, a North Carolina judge ruled today that race played an impermissible role in jury selection for Hasson Bacote, a Black man who challenged his death sentence ...