In a letter to the North Carolina House of Representatives, 21 family members of murder victims voiced their concerns about the state’s error-ridden death penalty system and urged members to pass legislation that would impose a two-year moratorium on executions while a study is conducted. “We are troubled by cases in which inadequate representation or prosecutorial misconduct led to innocent people being sent to our North Carolina Death Row. We are troubled by the ongoing evidence that our death penalty system is plagued by class and racial bias,” the family members wrote. “The criminal justice system cannot assuage the sorrow of a murder victim’s family, but the system should demonstrate to us that it is just and fair.” The 21 victims’ family members join a lengthy list of moratorium proponents, including 8 former North Carolina Supreme Court justices, religious leaders, and other community leaders. Last Spring, the North Carolina Senate passed companion legislation to the House bill. A statewide poll showed that North Carolinians support the moratorium by more than two-to-one. (North Carolina Moratorium Now Press Release, July 7, 2004, with letter from family members). See Victims.

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