Today's Fayetteville Observer reports, "Statements of victims' families show anger at Racial Justice Act hearing." It's by Paul Woolverton.
Keep the death penalty racially fair, lawyers for three death-row inmates told a Cumberland County judge Thursday.
Don't forget the killers' victims, implored family members speaking on behalf of five people who were shot to death in three of the Fayetteville community's most horrific murder cases.
The state's second Racial Justice Act evidentiary hearing ended Thursday with tears and anger among some in an audience of about 80 people during closing arguments from the lawyers and impact statements from the victims' relatives.
Since Oct. 1, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Greg Weeks has heard eight days of evidence and testimony at this hearing. He is expected to rule in November or December whether to commute the death sentences of Christina Walters, Tilmon Golphin and Quintel Augustine to life in prison without parole.
The hearing has focused on whether prosecutors illegally and, because of racism, blocked blacks from serving on juries.
The hearing drew numerous uniformed law enforcement officers; three of the murder victims were lawmen killed in the line of duty. Members of Augustine's family attended every day, but it appeared no one from Golphin or Walters' family attended. Both Golphin and Walters waived their right to appear during the hearing.
Earlier coverage from North Carolina begins at the link.
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