CDPL is a non-profit law firm that represents people on death row, coordinates capital litigation across North Carolina, and serves as a clearinghouse for accurate and timely information on the N.C. death penalty. We believe that indigent defendants facing the death penalty deserve the same kind of high-quality representation available to the highest-paying clients. We also believe that ending the unjust and error-prone death penalty is a crucial part of building a more humane criminal justice system in North Carolina. Read more about our work.
What’s New
The Racist Roots film is now available for all. Please watch, share & help make the death penalty history!
CDPL’s powerful new 25-minute film traces the NC death penalty’s deep entanglement with slavery, lynching and racism — and inspires people to join the movement to transform our state’s criminal legal system. Please help us share it!
Remembering Marcus Robinson, who helped expose death penalty’s racism
Earlier this month, Marcus Robinson was found dead in his cell at Scotland Correctional Institution. The prison ruled it a suicide. He was 49 and had spent his entire adult life, as well as a good chunk of his childhood, in prison. His death didn’t make the news. But for those who worked on Marcus’ case for decades, it was a tragic reminder of our criminal punishment system’s failure to create even a semblance of justice.
My client’s death penalty trial was tainted by racism; 25 years later, we found healing
Reposted from NCCADP.org By Elizabeth Hambourger Yesterday, my client Henry White went home to his family after 25 years in prison. It was one of the most heartwarming moments I’ve experienced as a lawyer, with all sides — including the family of Carl Marshburn, the murder victim in the case — agreeing that Mr. White […]
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. We could not do this work without your generosity. Donate here.
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.