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A PA judge allows Elon Musk's $1 million voter giveaway; All eyes on AZ this Election Day, but experts warn of harmful misinformation; To call or not to call? The election night question; Election Day raises new fears over Comstock Act, reproductive rights.

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Philadelphia's District Attorney says the city is prepared for any election violence, doctors advise about how to handle Election Stress Disorder, and Oregon has a high number of women in government.

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A Cambodian poultry farmer who lost his livelihood could be a hero for others, rural Montanans are anxiously awaiting a court ruling over a climate lawsuit brought by young people, and Northeast states say more housing for working families could boost jobs.

Slow Death of Capital Punishment in NC

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Thursday, December 17, 2015   

RALEIGH, N.C. – The death penalty is on the books in North Carolina, but not on the minds of the justice system.

There were no new death sentences this year in the Tar Heel State, and it's been nearly a decade since there was an execution in the state.

Gretchen Engel, executive director of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation, says public opinion has shown a significant shift in recent years.

"The public at least has figured out that we don't need the death penalty, and the legislators in Raleigh need to catch up with the public on where they are in terms of the death penalty," she stresses.

The trend in North Carolina of a decrease in the use of capital punishment mirrors the national trend.

There were 26 executions in six states this year, the fewest since 1991. Juries handed down only 49 new death sentences, the fewest in the modern era, according to a report released Wednesday by the Death Penalty Information Center.

Engel also points to recent cases where it was proved that death row inmates were wrongly convicted of their crime, and the financial cost of death penalty cases.

"Even with all the safeguards that we have, we continue to convict innocent people,” she points out. “This is a very costly failsafe, particularly when you think of the fact that we have life without parole."

According to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program, North Carolina's murder rate has declined since 1990. At the same time, the state’s use of the death penalty has also declined.







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