More than 150 prominent residents of North Carolina have asked the House of Representatives and Governor Michael Easley to support a two-year suspension of executions in the state and to conduct a death penalty study. North Carolina’s Senate passed the measure in May, and a vote in the House is expected this month. In a letter calling for the bill’s enactment into law, noteworthy North Carolinians, including former judges and corporate leaders, noted that “legitimate concerns about the fairness and accuracy of our system of capital punishment exist and must be addressed.” Specifically, the letter mentions several recent cases in which death sentences have been overturned by state courts. Read the letter and see a complete listing of signatories.

See Innocence and Recent Legislative Activity.