archived: 10 - 23 Jul, 2005 Back Next
A MATTER OF DEATH
North Carolina will not enact a general moratorium on executions pending a legislative study. Democrats simply could not garner the votes to pass the moratorium.
Compromise legislation will be considered. The terms of the compromise:
The bill would not impose any general moratorium of any length (which has been the goal all along), but it would create a commission to study the death system, as well as provide defendants with approaching execution dates the opportunity to appeal to Superior Court judges for a stay of execution on specified grounds. Any stay that was granted would last until the study commission had completed its work. – Common Sense
The compromise comes even as news of another wrongful conviction in a death penalty case emerges:
DNA evidence shows that convicted murderer Rex Penland is not guilty of killing a Winston-Salem prostitute, a crime for which he was sentenced to death, his attorneys said in court papers filed yesterday.
Penland, 44, has been on death row for more than 11 years after his conviction on charges of first-degree murder, rape, sexual offense and kidnapping in the Dec. 9, 1992, slaying of Vernice Alford.
"(The) DNA testing results dramatically change the picture presented by the prosecution at Penland's capital trial," wrote Ken Rose, an attorney at Durham's Center for Death Penalty Litigation, in a memorandum supporting a motion to overturn Penland's 1994 convictions. – Winston-Salem Journal
Even though the compromise is not what progressive Democrats have worked so hard for over the past four years, the compromise would advance the cause of justice in North Carolina. TPJ joins other progressive groups across the State urging readers to contact their members of the General Assembly to vote yes on the compromise.
The 11th
TPJ has written a number of articles since the November election indicating that the 11th Congressional District is “in play” for 2006. These are links to the prior TPJ articles:
HOPE FOR THE 11TH
DEMS GETTING SMARTER
Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Meek was back in Asheville recently to again attack Rep. Taylor’s business dealings:
North Carolina’s top Democratic Party leader called Wednesday for an investigation of U.S. Rep. Charles Taylor, the Brevard Republican who represents one of six U.S. districts targeted by Democratic groups for ethics concerns.
At a Western North Carolina Democratic gathering at Lake Junaluska, Jerry Meek distributed copies of the letter he sent to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Standards of Official Conduct — known as the House ethics committee — asking for an inquiry into Taylor’s banking activities in the United States and in Russia. Taylor owns both the Asheville-based Blue Ridge Savings Bank and the Ivanovo, Russia-based Bank of Ivanovo.
“We’ve had just about enough of Charles Taylor’s ethical lapses, his catering to special interests and his pandering to wealthy cronies,” Meek said.
Meek’s letter topped national and statewide Democrats’ efforts Wednesday to influence certain voters.
Also on Wednesday, several national Democrat groups, including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, ran ads in the Smoky Mountain News, the Hendersonville Times-News and the Waynesville Mountaineer criticizing Taylor’s activities. – Asheville Citizen Times
Here is the link to one of the ads that Democrats are running in the District to educate voters. – Taylor Ad Democrats have posted this information relating to Rep. Taylor. – House of Scandal
Democrats are clearly working to mount the quality effort that it will take to win the 11th Congressional District in 2006 or at the least move the 11th District closer to that goal.
TPJ kudos to Chairman Meek and to the 11th District Congressional Democrats.
Last Update: 03/23/2006