Outgoing North Carolina governor commutes 15 death row sentences

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Outgoing North Carolina governor commutes 15 death row sentences

2025-01-01 11:01 Last Updated At：11:11

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — In one of his final acts in office, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper commuted the death sentences of 15 men convicted of first-degree murder to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Tuesday, reducing the state's death row population by more than 10%.

Cooper, who was barred from seeking a third consecutive four-year term, will give way to fellow Democrat Josh Stein on Wednesday when Stein takes the oath of office.

Cooper, who was previously the attorney general for 16 years, said his commutation decisions occurred following a thorough review of petitions offered by defendants and input from prosecutors and victims' families.

Before Tuesday, North Carolina had 136 offenders on death row. Cooper's office said it had received clemency petitions from 89 of them.

Cooper's office said it considered a variety of factors, such as a defendant's conduct in prison, the adequacy of legal representation and sentences received by co-defendants.

“These reviews are among the most difficult decisions a Governor can make and the death penalty is the most severe sentence that the state can impose,” Cooper said in a news release. “After thorough review, reflection, and prayer, I concluded that the death sentence imposed on these 15 people should be commuted, while ensuring they will spend the rest of their lives in prison.”

North Carolina is one of 27 states that have the death penalty as a criminal punishment, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, although governors in five of those states currently have placed executions on hold. While North Carolina is not one of those five, an execution hasn't been carried out in the state since 2006.

The number of defendants sentenced to death in North Carolina has also dwindled in recent years, as prosecutors have more leeway in state law to decide whether to try a capital case. Even after Tuesday's action, North Carolina has the fifth-largest death row by population in the country, according to the North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

Although some groups opposed to the death penalty have sought from Cooper a complete commutation for all on death row, they still praised him for what they called a historic act of clemency. State Department of Adult Correction records list 13 of the 15 receiving clemency as Black. The convictions dates for the 15 range from 1993 to 2011.

Cooper “joins the ranks of a group of courageous leaders who used their executive authority to address the failed death penalty,” Chantal Stevens, executive director of American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina, said in a separate release. “We have long known that the death penalty in North Carolina is racially biased, unjust, and immoral, and the Governor’s actions today pave the way for our state to move towards a new era of justice.”

Cooper received national attention this year as he surfaced as a potential running mate for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

Stein succeeded Cooper as attorney general in 2017. The Attorney General's Office participates in death penalty appeals.

Among the 15 receiving commutations on Tuesday include Hasson Bacote, who was convicted of first-degree murder in 2009 in Johnston County.

Bacote had been challenging his death sentence under the 2009 Racial Justice Act, which allowed prisoners to receive life without parole if they can show that racial bias was the reason for their death sentence. While the law was repealed in 2013, the state Supreme Court ruled later that most prisoners currently on death row could still use the law retroactively.

Bacote's recent hearing before a judge based on that law was considered a test case. Groups backing Bacote's litigation said Tuesday they still anticipate a ruling in his case because of the widespread public interest in the matter.

Another whose sentence was commuted is Guy LeGrande, who was once set to be executed in late 2006 before a judge halted it and later cited LeGrande's “severe mental illness.” He was convicted in Stanly County of the 1993 killing of a woman whose estranged husband offered to pay him a portion of life insurance proceeds.

Another death row inmate receiving clemency, Christopher Roseboro, was convicted of murder and rape in the death of a 72-year-old Gastonia woman in 1992.

Last week, President Joe Biden announced that he was commuting the sentences of 37 of the 40 people on federal death row, converting their punishments to life imprisonment.

Separately Tuesday, Cooper announced that he had commuted the sentences of two prisoners convicted of murder so that they are immediately parole eligible. One defendant has served 34 years, while the other has served 27 years.

The Latest: House speaker vote begins as Mike Johnson fights for reelection

2025-01-04 01:58 Last Updated At：02:01

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 119th Congress is convening for the first time on Friday and House Speaker Mike Johnson is fighting for his political life — again.

While the Louisiana Republican has the support of President-elect Donald Trump, it will be House Republicans who will decide whether to reelect him to his post as Speaker of the House. Far-right Republicans have at times grown frustrated with Johnson’s leadership and are prone to demanding concessions when their votes become essential.

A flop by Johnson could throw Monday’s congressional certification of Trump’s 2024 election victory into turmoil without a House speaker.

Here's the latest:

Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Mich., said achieving perfection requires incremental gains and hard decisions.

“None of us will get exactly what we want,” she said.

The message is aimed at some of the most conservative members of the House Republican conference who have come into Friday’s vote without previously committing to Johnson.

House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain kicked off the speaker election by nominating Mike Johnson to be the speaker for the 119th Congress.

1. Nominations

Once the House is in a quorum — meaning the minimum number of members are present to proceed — nominating speeches will be made on behalf of the nominees for speaker. Republicans chose Johnson as their nominee for speaker in a closed-door vote in November. A week later, Democrats unanimously chose Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to remain their leader despite the party’s electoral losses.

2. Voting

Lawmakers call out the name of their choice for speaker from the floor, a rare and time-consuming roll call. Members often liven up the proceedings by shouting or standing when casting their vote. Lawmakers are not obligated to vote for their party’s nominated candidate. Any name can be called out from the House floor. While it has been the tradition for the speaker to be a member of the House, it is not required.

3. Results

Should Johnson come up short, it is likely the clerk will move immediately to start another roll call vote. If a speaker candidate wins a majority of those present and voting, a bipartisan committee, usually consisting of members from the home state of the chosen candidate, will escort the speaker-elect to the chair on the dais where the oath of office is administered.

As Johnson’s political fate hangs in the balance, members are using this time to take selfies with the Louisiana Republican.

GOP lawmakers are bringing their babies, grandbabies and siblings to take a photo with the speaker before the House begins his reelection vote.

The next speaker must receive a majority of the votes cast. If not, balloting continues until someone meets that threshold.

Two years ago, it took Kevin McCarthy 15 rounds of balloting before he gained enough support to take the gavel.

Those voting won their election in November, but they cannot take the oath of office until a new speaker has been elected.

New and returning lawmakers donned their Sunday best to the first day of the new Congress, with many of the women adhering to the traditional colors of their political party.

Red ties and dresses for Republican members can be seen scattered across the House floor while across the aisle Democratic women styled various shades of blue.

Johnson commands one of the slimmest majorities in modern times, 220-215, having lost seats in the November election.

The abrupt resignation of Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida drops his tally to 220.

That leaves him relying on almost every Republican for support in the face of Democratic opposition, though the typical 218 majority needed could shift with absences and others voting only “present.”

Before his election for speaker can begin, Speaker Mike Johnson opened Friday’s session by declaring that the 118th Congress has come to a close.

On his way to the House floor earlier, he was asked by reporters if he will win the speakership during the first round of voting.

“I hope so. We’ll see,” he said.

Lawmakers are quickly filtering into the House chambers for the start of the 119th Congress, where the first order of business will be a quorum call and then a roll call vote to elect the next speaker.

For now, it’s a festive atmosphere with many lawmakers bringing their children onto the House floor with them to take in some history.

Soon, it will become more serious as the speaker vote is held.

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., has the backing of President-elect Donald Trump, but can’t afford hardly any holdouts from the Republican side of the room if he hopes to return to holding the gavel.

Democratic lawmakers are standing and applauding as Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi has entered the House chamber as a new Congress begins to gather.

The former speaker had hip replacement surgery recently at a U.S. military hospital in Germany after falling while at an event in Luxembourg with other members of Congress.

The former speaker walked gingerly to a seat in the middle of the chamber. Several colleagues moved quickly to greet her.

New and returning lawmakers walked around the chamber, taking selfies with their children and families ahead of what is expected to be a contentious few hours as Republicans fight amongst themselves to elect a speaker.

Johnson commands one of the slimmest majorities in modern times, 220-215, having lost seats in the November election. That leaves him relying on almost every Republican for support in the face of Democratic opposition.

Here’s a look at some of the Republicans who’ve signaled they may vote against him:

The speaker’s election is set to dominate the opening of the new Congress, but the day will also bring a roster of history-making members.

In the Senate, two Black women — Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland — will be sworn in, the first time in the nation’s history two Black women senators will serve at the same time.

Sen.-elect Andy Kim of New Jersey also is making history as the first Korean American to join the chamber.

In the House, Sarah McBride is the first openly transgender person in the Congress.

And Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who recently suffered a fall overseas and underwent hip replacement surgery, will make her own return to Washington, a reminder of the power she wielded when Democrats last held the majority.

The speakership has been vacant only 13 times in U.S. history, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. No speaker had ever been removed until eight Republicans joined with Democrats to oust McCarthy.

Barring those instances, a speaker is normally elected at the start of a new Congress and serves in the job for the full two-year session.

House Speaker Mike Johnson walked into the Capitol on Friday morning seemingly optimistic about his chances of being reelected speaker by his conference despite growing frustrations amongst far-right members of the party.

When asked by a reporter what his message was to his holdouts, the Louisiana Republican said, “We need to unify,” adding that the speaker election “is not just about one person but about moving forward with the America First agenda, the mandate given forward by the American people.”

Johnson denied that he was making any back-door deals.

“There is no quid pro quo here. I don’t do anything in exchange for a vote other than commit to make this institution work as effectively and efficiently as possible,” he said.

President-elect Donald Trump called the U.S. House speaker “a fine man of great ability” and wished him good luck on Friday, when the new Congress convenes and Republican lawmakers will decide whether to reelect Mike Johnson to lead their party.

Trump endorsed the Louisiana Republican earlier this week, but whether that support will be enough is unclear. Trump said Johnson “is very close to having 100% support,” but some members of the far right have grown increasingly frustrated with Johnson’s leadership and his handling of funding fights such as the recent short-term spending bill.

“A win for Mike today will be a big win for the Republican Party,” Trump posted on Truth Social.

Johnson’s weak grip on the gavel threatens not only his own survival but Trump’s ambitious agenda of tax cuts and mass deportations as Republicans sweep to power in Washington.

A flop by Johnson could throw Monday’s congressional certification of Trump’s 2024 election victory into turmoil if there is no speaker.

Johnson commands one of the slimmest majorities in modern times, having lost seats in the November election, leaving him relying on almost every Republican for support and with nearly no votes to spare.

Electing a speaker is the first order of business for the U.S. House after a new session of Congress begins at noon. It’s a vote that members take even before being sworn into office.

The House cannot organize until it has a speaker because that person effectively serves as the House’s presiding officer and the institution’s administrative head. The House can elect a new speaker at any time if the person occupying that role dies, resigns or is removed from office.