North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper recently commuted the sentences of 15 individuals on the state's death row before leaving office. This decision comes amidst a trend of clemency actions, with outgoing President Biden also commuting sentences for federal death row inmates.
Cooper, a Democrat, emphasized the gravity of such decisions, stating that the death penalty is the most severe sentence a state can impose. Following thorough review and reflection, he opted to commute the sentences to life in prison for the 15 individuals.
Notably, no executions have taken place in North Carolina since 2006 due to ongoing legal challenges.
Among those who had their sentences commuted was Hasson Bacote, a Black inmate who challenged his death sentence under North Carolina's Racial Justice Act. Another recipient, Christopher Roseboro, has been incarcerated for approximately 30 years for charges related to a robbery and murder.
Cooper's actions align with President Biden's recent orders, which reclassified death sentences for 37 convicts to life without parole. Biden's decision to halt federal executions, except in cases of terrorism or hate-motivated mass murder, has garnered mixed reactions.
One of the remaining issues is the case of three men on federal death row: Robert Gregory Bowers, Dzhokar Anzorovich Tsarnaev, and Dylann Storm Roof, who were involved in high-profile crimes such as the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting and the Boston Marathon bombing.
While Cooper's 77 total pardons and commutations during his tenure pale in comparison to former Governor James B. Hunt Jr.'s nearly 700 actions, they reflect ongoing debates surrounding the death penalty and criminal justice reform.
As Cooper's term concludes, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, also a Democrat, has assumed the governorship in Raleigh.
