PRESS RELEASE/THREE YEARS, TOO LONG- Audio
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On September 12, it will be three years since a local Lexington resident had a clemency petition filed by Attorney Jamie Lau from Duke University’s Wrongful Conviction Clinic - and he’s still waiting on an answer.
Charles’s case {Mcneair} highlights not only the personal toll of long clemency delays but also the broader issue of justice reform in North Carolina. He is serving a life sentence for an alleged crime there is no police report to document even taking place. The family of Charles, his advocates and his community have been waiting in limbo for three years with no answer. He has aged from a 16 year old, illiterate black child to a an educated 62 year old man with an honor grade status in prison.
We believe this anniversary is a timely opportunity to shed light on the human impact of the clemency process and the lack of transparency involved. Governor Cooper left petitions unanswered and Governor Stein has not announced if there is even a clemency board in existence. What happens to the multiple clemency petitions the Juvenile Sentence Review Board reviewed before being dissolved?
Contact for additional questions or details:
Wanda Cox
wandawcox@aol.com
Chairperson, Advocates for Charles McNeair
336.870.9490
Pastor Alan Suber
President, NAACP
Davidson County, NC
803.673.6548
