On his last day in office, Governor Roy Cooper commuted 15 death row sentences to life without parole, a significant move against capital punishment.
North Carolina: On his final day in office, Governor Roy Cooper made a big move by commuting the sentences of 15 people on death row. Instead of facing execution, they’ll now serve life without the chance of parole.
This decision came on New Year’s Eve and has been met with cheers from those who oppose the death penalty. They’ve been pushing for more commutations to stop executions altogether.
However, it’s worth noting that many others still remain on death row. Out of 136 inmates, Cooper received 89 requests for clemency. His team looked at various factors, including the crime details, input from victims, and even claims of innocence.
Cooper shared that after careful consideration and reflection, he felt it was right to commute these sentences while ensuring the individuals would still spend their lives in prison.
This action mirrors what President Joe Biden did in his last weeks in office, where he commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, protecting them from execution.
The ACLU celebrated the commutation of Hasson Bacote, a Black man who challenged the death penalty based on racial bias. His case highlighted how race influenced jury selections in North Carolina.
Experts provided evidence showing discrimination against Black defendants, making Bacote’s case a significant one in the fight against the death penalty.
While a judge hasn’t ruled on Bacote’s case yet, the outcome could affect many others on death row in the state.
Cooper also commuted sentences for others, including Guy LeGrande, who struggled with mental illness, and Christopher Roseboro, who had an intellectual disability and faced ineffective legal representation.
North Carolina has the fifth-largest death row in the U.S. but hasn’t executed anyone since 2006 due to ongoing legal battles.
Despite 27 states still having the death penalty, executions are currently paused in five of them. Cooper’s actions mark the largest clemency move in North Carolina’s modern history, with previous governors commuting only five sentences.
While some advocates wanted more, they still see this as a historic step towards addressing injustices in the death penalty system. Many of those granted clemency faced racial bias, outdated laws, or were very young when they committed their crimes.
The announcement comes after a year filled with controversial executions across the U.S., raising public concern, especially in cases where defendants had credible claims of innocence.
