"The DOJ’s decision to reopen the case of James Lewis Cates Jr. will hopefully provide solace to his family who has presumably remained haunted by his death decades after he lost his life on our very campus. Cates died right by the Pit, a place that is used by hundreds of students, faculty and staff on a daily basis."
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Two bills, House Bills 436 and 536, addressing criminal justice reform are sitting in a North Carolina Senate committee after being unanimously passed by the N.C. House in early May. Rep. Ricky Hurtado (D-Alamance) said this bill would prevent situations like the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police last May from ever being possible.
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For the past week, Elizabeth City has been filled with protests in response to Pasquotank County sheriff's deputies killing Andrew Brown Jr., a 42-year-old Black man.
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The Orange County Bail/Bond Justice Project, launched in 2019, helps post bail and provide assistance to people who need it. After a sharp decrease in detentions this past year, the project is donating 20 percent of its fund to other types of court assistance.
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On Wednesday, a North Carolina judge denied the release of the footage of Andrew Brown Jr.'s shooting to the media. Brown was sitting behind the wheel of his car at his Elizabeth City home when local officers opened fire on him the morning of April 21. The footage will be released to Brown's son, Khalil Ferebee, the attorney representing the victim and other family within one degree of kinship in the next 10 days.
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Of states with a specified minimum age, North Carolina currently has the lowest in the nation.
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The legal settlement ensures the early release of 3,500 people over the next six months, 1,500 of whom will be released over the next three months. The agreement also maintains many existing COVID mitigation efforts and calls for an anonymous complaint system.
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A chief public defender runs and maintains the public defender's office. They create policies and work on issues such as the disparate impact of court fees, pretrial reform and racial equity.
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The committee, called the Juvenile Justice Planning Committee, was established on Sept. 25 to advise the Governor's Crime Commission and administer juvenile justice and delinquency prevention grants from the Department of Justice.
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The Black Mama's Bail Out Action is an annual event designed to bail Black mothers and caregivers out of jail. Southerners on New Ground Durham has raised over $60,000 to fund this year’s Bail Out, which takes place on Thursday.
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With the recent ruling on Sept. 4, around 5,000 people are newly eligible to vote.
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Oct. 1 will mark the beginning of Orange County's "Our Lens, Our Voice", a photography and photo project that aims to reframe the narrative of local youth impacted by the criminal justice system.
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The N.C. Supreme Court ruled that Marcus Robinson, who was resentenced to death after the Racial Justice Act was repealed in 2013, could not be executed due to double jeopardy.
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The North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice has recommended a ban on chokeholds, a mandate to intervene and report excessive uses of force and that judges consider a defendant's ability to pay before implementing a fine or fee.
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In the nation-wide fight for social justice and police reform, Orange County officials address racial disparities with updated policing and judicial policies.
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