skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, December 1, 2023

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

On World AIDS Day, New Mexico activists say more money is needed for prevention; ND farmers still navigate corporate land-ownership policy maze; Unpaid caregivers in ME receive limited financial grants.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges Israel to protect civilians amid Gaza truce talks, New York Rep. George Santos defends himself as his expected expulsion looms and CDC director warns about respiratory illness as flu season begins.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Congress has iced the Farm Bill, but farmer advocates argue some portions are urgent, the Hoosier State is reaping big rewards from wind and solar, and opponents react to a road through Alaska's Brooks Range, long a dream destination for hunters and anglers.

NC Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Juvenile Life-without-Parole

play audio
Play

Friday, November 12, 2021   

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The North Carolina Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on the racial disparities involved in sentencing kids under 18 to life without parole.

Research shows the sentences are disproportionately used in cases involving young people of color. In North Carolina, Black and brown kids make up more than 90% of those serving life-without-parole sentences.

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate North Carolina, made oral agruments on behalf of Darrell Tristan Anderson, a North Carolina man convicted of murder at age 17 who is serving a life-without-parole (L-WOP) sentence.

"North Carolina ranks among ten states that combine to account for 85% of juvenile L-WOP sentences nationwide," Blagrove reported.

Blagrove added she hopes the court will determine no juvenile should serve longer than 25 years before becoming parole-eligible, and those currently serving out their sentences will have an opportunity to experience a meaningful life outside of prison.

Blagrove explained the stark racial disparities seen in life-without-parole sentences are often attributed to higher conviction rates for non-white youths, and to racial bias in how youths of color are charged with crimes.

"There's no way to claim equity or fairness in a process when the results so disproportionately deny life and liberty to black children," Blagrove asserted. "The United States is, shamefully, one of only four countries in the entire world that still imposes L-WOP for juveniles."

Since the 1990s, North Carolina has sentenced 94 minors to life without the possibility of parole. Blagrove argued the color of a child's skin should not be predictive of whether they receive the harshest punishment for a crime.

"In doing so, North Carolina has sent a message that these children's lives have no meaningful value and that they can be disposed of," Blagrove contended.

As of last year, more than 1,400 people were serving juvenile life without parole sentences nationwide. A growing number of states have passed laws prohibiting these sentences for juveniles, according to The Sentencing Project.

Disclosure: Emancipate NC contributes to our fund for reporting on Civic Engagement, Criminal Justice, Human Rights/Racial Justice, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
According to the National Family Farm Coalition, the average U.S. farmland value is now $3,800 per
acre, the highest since the 1970s. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

North Dakota's farming landscape is seeing policy shifts dealing with corporate ownership of agricultural interests. Now, there's fresh debate at the …


Social Issues

play sound

Advocates for unpaid family caregivers in Maine say they'll need continued support beyond the recently passed paid family and medical leave program…

Social Issues

play sound

The Students for Justice in Palestine chapters at the University of Florida and the University of South Florida are filing lawsuits against the deacti…


An estimated 40% of recent college graduates in the U.S. are underemployed, according to Statista. (Adobe Stock)

play sound

A new report from WGU Labs, a nonprofit affiliate of Western Governors University based in Millcreek, Utah, is shedding light on the importance of …

Social Issues

play sound

Many older residents of Washington state are facing strains on their budgets -- and the government programs that could assist them are underused…

The Thrive Indianapolis Annual Report 2022 says Indianapolis has been recognized as a Tree City USA for 35 consecutive years. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Bloomington and Indianapolis are getting some international recognition for the work they're doing to help the environment. The two have been named …

Health and Wellness

play sound

New Mexico activists are tapping today's World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, to announce they'll ask the State Legislature to provide more money for treatment …

play sound

Bipartisan legislation that proposes the installation of solar panels in schools across Pennsylvania awaits a vote in the state Senate. The Solar …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021