North Carolina DAs urge state legislature to repeal Racial Justice Act

As reported in this AP article, North Carolina's district attorneys are urging state senators to swiftly repeal the state's Racial Justice Act.   Here are the basics from the start of the article, as well as snippets from the DAs pitch for repeal:

The Legislature should act quickly to repeal a new law that gives death row inmates another way to challenge their sentences on the grounds of racial bias, North Carolina's district attorneys argue in a letter to state senators. " ... if you do not address this issue quickly, the criminal justice system will be saddled with litigation that will crush an already under-funded and overburdened system," wrote Johnston County District Attorney Susan Doyle, president of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys.

The letter was sent Monday and addressed to Senate leader Phil Berger.  It also went to all senators, said Peg Dorer, executive director of the conference.  Forty-three of the 44 elected district attorneys support a resolution calling for the changes, Dorer said.  Durham County District Attorney Tracey Cline didn't sign the resolution, the conference said.

The Racial Justice Act allows death row inmates and defendants facing the death penalty to use statistics and other evidence to show that racial bias played a significant role in either their sentence or in the prosecutors' decision to pursue the death penalty.  The law says an inmate's sentence is reduced to life in prison without the possibility of parole if the claim is successful....

Doyle's letter cites four reasons that the law should be repealed: white inmates are taking advantage of the law; the cost is prohibitive; it created a quagmire in the courts; and contrary to what the law says, some inmates could be released if sentenced to life without parole.  "I challenge you (to) see RJA for what it really is, not a search to eliminate bias, but a backdoor deal to end the death penalty in North Carolina," Doyle said.

I cannot yet find the DAs letter on line, but I will post it if/when I find an electronic copy. 

Some related posts on the North Carolina Racial Justice Act:

• Robust legislative debate over NC Racial Justice Act
• NC Racial Justice Act going to governor's desk
• NC Gov signs new racial justice act concerning capital prosecutions
• Will NC's new Racial Justice Act effectively kill the state's death penalty?
• New research suggests race of victim impacts NC death penalty administration
• NC defender officer urging that racial bias claims be brought in every capital case
• NC prosecutors bring complaints about state's Racial Justice Act to court
• State judge refuses to overturn Racial Justice Act in North Carolina
• Upcoming MSU symposium to examine North Carolina Racial Justice Act
• Talk of profound changes to North Carolina's potent Racial Justice Act

UPDATE:  Via the ACLU, I found a copy of the two-page letter referenced here now available at this link.