The Center for Death Penalty Litigation is North Carolina’s premier nonprofit law firm representing people facing the death penalty and other extreme sentences. We expose and confront racism within the criminal punishment system. Through strategic litigation, education, training, and policy reform, we strive to create a more humane and equitable society. Read more about our work.
What’s New
Watch CDPL’s 2024 Osborn & Racial Justice Awards
On Sept. 12, we celebrated Jay Ferguson, winner of CDPL’s Osborn Award, and Judge Gregory Weeks, winner of the first Racial Justice Award. Relive the night with photos and video and see a list of our sponsors.
CDPL works to memorialize a forgotten civil rights martyr gunned down in Durham
At CDPL, we believe that the past informs the present. That’s why we took on our ambitious Racist Roots project in 2020. It’s also the reason that we are now a sponsor of the Booker T. Spicely Committee. You might have heard of the committee at the end of last year, when it successfully lobbied for a historic marker in recognition of Pfc. Spicely, a Black soldier who was shot to death by a Durham bus driver in 1944 because he resisted giving up his seat to a group of white soldiers. In addition to shining light on a forgotten hero, the marker is also the first in NC to use the phrase “Jim Crow.”
Historic hearing challenging racial bias in NC’s death penalty concludes with overwhelming evidence of discrimination
A historic Racial Justice Act hearing came to a close Friday after two weeks of testimony that illustrated the discrimination inherent in North Carolina’s death penalty. The evidence showed a clear and persistent pattern of racial bias in jury exclusions that denies people of color the opportunity to serve on capital juries and leads to a disproportionate number of extreme sentences for Black men, as well as a direct line between modern death sentences and the state’s history of racial terrorism.
Support our Work
Help us provide the best possible representation to people facing execution and educate the public about the injustice and racist roots of the death penalty. Donate here. Or sign up here to get updates about our work.
Join the Movement
CDPL is a member of the NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. If you want to be a part of the grassroots movement to end the NC death penalty, please visit their website to learn and get involved.
Intern or Volunteer
Do you want to learn about capital defense while working alongside a dedicated staff? If you are a law student looking for a summer internship, learn more here. If you are interested in volunteering, apply here.