(The Center Square) – Finding a route to reactivating the death penalty and tighter oversight of magistrates is expected in legislative proposals when the North Carolina General Assembly returns the week of Sept. 22.
Leaders of the chambers spoke on Thursday about their plans, offering no specifics other than a commitment to dive into and find solutions in judicial processes related to the stabbing death on a Charlotte light rail train on Aug. 22. The case in which the accused had 15 years of criminal history and diagnosed mental health issues has been gripping the nation’s attention after police on Friday released video of the incident.
kAm“(6 ?665 =6256CD 2E 6G6CJ =6G6= E@ 24<?@H=6586 E96C6 :D 2 4C:>6 4C:D:D 96C6 :? }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 2?5 24C@DD E96 ?2E:@? 3C@F89E @? 3J D@7E @? 4C:>6 A@=:4:6D[” D2:5 |:4926= (92E=6J[ E96 #6AF3=:42? 42?5:52E6 7@C &]$] $6?2E6 :? a_ae] w6 ;@:?65 $6?2E6 !C6D:56?E !C@ %6>A@C6 !9:= q6C86C[ #\#@4<:?892>[ 2?5 w@FD6 $A62<6C s6DE:? w2==[ #\r2=5H6==[ :? D92C:?8 :?7@C>2E:@?]k^Am
kAmq6C86C 2?5 w2== D2:5 E96J 925 >6E H:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?@CE9042C@=:?2^2CE:4=602`h_33hf\`34c\c5`b\2fga\5bgc`bfe3ha2]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m7:CDE\E6C> s6>@4C2E:4 v@G] y@D9 $E6:?k^DEC@?8mk^2m :? E96 =2DE ac 9@FCD[ 2 E:>6 E92E :?4=F565 E96 2DD2DD:?2E:@? @7 %FC?:?8 !@:?E &$p 7@F?56C r92C=:6 z:C<] #6DA64E7F= C676C6?46D E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^FE29^2CE:4=602b_g_g_4\73ge\c``5\2`b2\4cg_7`_ehe2e]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m9:D 562E9 :? &E29k^DEC@?8mk^2m H6C6 DAC:?<=65 7C@> E96 DE2CE 2?5 E9C@F89@FE]k^Am
kAm%96 =6256CD @7 E96 {68:D=2EFC6 D2:5 E96J H@F=5 AFE E@86E96C 2 3:== A24<286 6?5:?8 42D9=6DD 32:=j :?4C62D6 @G6CD:89E 2?5 EC2:?:?8 7@C >28:DEC2E6Dj 2?5 4@?D:56C 492?86D E@ 9@H 4C:>6D E:65 E@ A6@A=6 H:E9 >6?E2= :==?6DD 2C6 92?5=65]k^Am
kAm~? E96 =2EE6C[ 2 C676C6?46 H2D >256 E@ 9@H 5@>6DE:4 G:@=6?46 564:D:@?D 2C6 3J 2 s:DEC:4E r@FCE ;F586 C2E96C E92? 2 >28:DEC2E6]k^Am
kAm%96 562E9 A6?2=EJ :D ?@E AC@9:3:E65 :? }@CE9 r2C@=:?2[ E9@F89 E96 =2DE H2D pF8] `g[ a__e] $2>F6= u=:AA6? H2D 6I64FE65 3J =682= :?;64E:@? 7@==@H:?8 9:D 4@?G:4E:@? 7@C >FC56C @7 9:D DE6A52F89E6C] %96 F?HC:EE6? >@C2E@C:F> 92D 6I:DE65 3642FD6 @7 =:E:82E:@? @? 72:C?6DD 2?5 >6E9@5D]k^Am
kAmxCJ?2 +2CFED<2[ ab[ H2D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?@CE9042C@=:?2^2CE:4=60hch_353d\c765\c7h6\h`g3\_3h5c3`2h6b6]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m<:==65 H9:=6 23@2C5 E96 {J?I q=F6 {:?6 =:89E C2:= EC2:?k^DEC@?8mk^2m 23@FE `_ A]>] pF8] aa 2=@?8D:56 r2>56? #@25 ?62C E96 t2DE^(6DE DE2E:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 r92C=@EE6 pC62 %C2?D:E $JDE6> G:56@] s642C=@D qC@H? yC][ 2CC6DE65 2 `dE9 E:>6 :? 2D >2?J J62CD[ :D 492C865 H:E9 7:CDE\568C66 >FC56C @? E96 DE2E6 =6G6= 2?5 492C865 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?@CE9042C@=:?2^2CE:4=607`f6__6_\7b3`\c32`\2ch2\`a_6`a4hg546]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m@? E96 7656C2= =6G6= H:E9 4@>>:EE:?8 2? 24E 42FD:?8 562E9k^DEC@?8mk^2m @? 2 >2DD EC2?DA@CE2E:@? DJDE6>]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 :? E96 =@42= ?6HD :>>65:2E6=J[ E96 DE@CJ H6?E G:C2= @G6C E96 H66<6?5 2?5 :?E@ E9:D H66< H96? G:56@ H2D C6=62D65 3J r92C=@EE6\|64<=6?3FC8 !@=:46 7C@> 42>6C2D 23@2C5 E96 EC2:?]k^Am
kAmr@?8C6DD:@?2= AC@A@D2=D 2C6 :? E96 H@C<Dj DE2E6 #6AF3=:42?D :? E96 &]$] w@FD6 92G6 C6BF6DE65 E96 49:67 ;F586 :? E96 5:DEC:4E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?@CE9042C@=:?2^2CE:4=6056fbdgcf\`6ac\caa_\h2ea\bg52bd7fh4`5]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mC6>@G6 E96 >28:DEC2E6 D:8?:?8 @77 @? 42D9=6DD 32:=k^DEC@?8mk^2m 7@C qC@H? :? y2?F2CJj 2?5 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?@CE9042C@=:?2^2CE:4=6022h5hbee\c5h5\cgg2\hf_`\bffcg2cb`c66]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mAC@36 @7 D276EJ 2?5 3F586Ek^DEC@?8mk^2m 7@C E96 EC2?D:E DJDE6> :D F?56CH2J 3J E96 DE2E6 2F5:E@C]k^Am
kAm}@CE9 r2C@=:?2’D 492AE6C @7 E96 =2C86DE |FD=:> 4:G:= C:89ED 2?5 25G@424J @C82?:K2E:@? :? E96 ?2E:@? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?@CE9042C@=:?2^2CE:4=60ggfag`h2\`6a7\c2e4\3cd4\d66ge462b6b6]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m92D 7@C>2==J C6BF6DE65 7656C2= AC@D64FE@CD 492C86 qC@H? H:E9 2 92E6 4C:>6k^DEC@?8mk^2m] %96 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 492AE6C @7 E96 r@F?4:= @? p>6C:42?\xD=2>:4 #6=2E:@?D D2:5[ “':56@ 7@@E286 7C@> E96 :?4:56?E C6A@CE65=J D9@HD E96 2==6865 2EE24<6C[ s642C=@D s6;F2? qC@H? yC][ A24:?8 E9C@F89 E96 EC2:? 2?5 EH:46 D2J:?8[ ‘x 8@E E92E H9:E6 8:C=]’”k^Am
kAm%96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 92D ?@E 4@?7:C>65 E96 4@>>6?ED]k^Am
kAmq6C86C D2:5 =2H>2<6CD k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E9646?E6CDBF2C6]4@>^?@CE9042C@=:?2^2CE:4=60h7b7b3e_\575g\c7c5\hcee\3f7h_geb74f2]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8mH2?E E@ DE@A E2D< 7@C46D =:<6 E96 a_a_ 4C62E:@?k^DEC@?8mk^2m C6BF6DE65 3J E96?\v@G] #@J r@@A6C] w6 24<?@H=65865 E96 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 %2D< u@C46 7@C #24:2= tBF:EJ :? rC:>:?2= yFDE:46 5:5 ?@E =625 E@ =2HD[ 3FE :E 92D D6CG65 E@ D92A6 564:D:@?D :? E96 ;F5:4:2= AC@46DD]k^Am
kAm“!@=:4:?8 5@6D?’E ?665 E@ 36 C6:>28:?65[” q6C86C D2:5] “xE ?665D E@ 36 C6DA64E65j :E ?665D E@ 36 7F?565]”k^Am
kAmq6C86C 2?5 w2== E@@< BF6DE:@?D[ C6DA64E:G6=J[ @? H96E96C E96 7656C2= 8C2?E 4FED 3J D64@?5\E6C> #6AF3=:42? !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A H6C6 :? A=2J @? G:@=6?E 4C:>6 2?5 :7 5:776C6?E 8F? A@=:4J 4@F=5 96=A] t249 C676CC65 E@ H92E 92AA6?65 :? r92C=@EE6[ q6C86C D2J:?8 E96 AC@3=6> H2D?’E 92G:?8 A@=:46 E@ 2CC6DE 3642FD6 96 H2D >@C6 E92? 2 5@K6? E:>6D 2?5 E96 ;F5:4:2= AC@46DD <6AE =6EE:?8 9:> 324< @FEj 2?5 w2== D2J:?8 E96 <:==:?8 H2D 3J <?:76[ ?@E 8F?]k^Am
kAm“tG6CJ@?6 >FDE E2<6 4C:>6 2?5 G:@=6?46 D6C:@FD=J[” q6C86C D2:5] “~FC =2H 2?5 4C:>6 AC@46DD6D >FDE C67=64E E92E]”k^Am
