2009 North Carolina death row inmate Hasson Jamaal Bacote seeks remand of his death sentence to life in prison, citing racial bias in jury selection.
North Carolina death row inmate Hasson Jamaal Bacote is fighting to have his 2009 death sentence remanded to life in prison, arguing that racial bias influenced his jury selection process. Bacote's case is part of the 2009 North Carolina Racial Justice Act, which was repealed in 2013 but is still ongoing in the courts. Over 100 prisoners on death row in the state have pending cases under the act, attempting to convert their death sentences to life in prison without parole. Bacote's lawyers presented charts showing racial discrepancies in capital sentences, with all Black individuals with capital sentences in Johnston County receiving the death penalty, while only 45% of white offenders have been sentenced to death. If Bacote's appeal is successful, it could lead to the reconsideration of more than 100 other death row cases in the state.