The Wilmington Star News reports, "Lawmakers move to put N.C. in line with Supreme Court ruling," by Molly Parker .
N.C. House Rep. Ted Davis, R-New Hanover, is sponsoring a measure that would put North Carolina statute in line with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that says an IQ score alone cannot be used by a court to determine if someone is intellectually disabled.
That could affect a handful of North Carolina inmates on death row whose sentences could be commuted to life without parole, as it is unlawful to use the death penalty in cases where a person has been determined intellectually disabled.
Senate Bill 594, as amended in the House, also updates the language in that section of the law from "mentally retarded" to "intellectually disabled."
"A lot of people view the term ‘mental retardation' as offensive," said Ken Rose, staff attorney for the Durham-based The Center for Death Penalty Litigation.
Earlier coverage of Hall v. Florida begins at the link. Also available, earlier, unrelated, coverage from North Carolina.
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