Judge Cites Racial Bias in NC Death Penalties

A North Carolina judge ruled that racial bias significantly influenced the jury selection and sentencing in the 2009 trial of Hasson Bacote, a Black man previously sentenced to death, highlighting systemic discrimination in capital cases in Johnston County. Superior Court Judge Wayland Sermons Jr. noted that Black defendants were sentenced to death at a disproportionately higher rate than white defendants, with racial bias evident in jury selection processes led by Assistant District Attorney Gregory Butler. This ruling, although not affecting Bacote's commuted sentence, underscores the racial injustice prevalent in the county's judicial system and resonates with the over 100 individuals on North Carolina's death row. Bacote's case, which was challenged under the state's Racial Justice Act, is a pivotal example of the systemic discrimination that taints capital prosecutions in the state. The decision encourages a review of other death penalty cases in the state, raising questions about the fairness and legitimacy of the criminal justice system. Former Governor Roy Cooper had already commuted Bacote's sentence to life without parole, reflecting the broader implications of racial bias in capital punishment decisions.