Mayor speaks about use of death penalty

For Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, the death penalty is a rapidly changing institution.

Across the board, states have drastically reduced its usage over the years, he said. But it remains as a deeply racist part of America’s judicial system.

Kleinschmidt addressed a group of about 20 students Wednesday about the effectiveness of the judicial system and its relation to the Troy Davis case.

Kleinschmidt argued that the judicial system is inherently racist, citing statistical evidence about the racial makeup of juries and how minorities are put on death row more often.

Troy Davis was executed Sept. 21, after being convicted of murder and placed on death row for the 1989 shooting of police officer Mark MacPhail in Georgia.

He said that when the Davis case was being tried in the 1990s, race played a large factor in how a person was convicted.

“In the Georgia county, if you killed a white person you were going to death row. If you killed a black person, your case may not have been considered,” he said.

He added that even one extra minority voice in the jury could have a major effect.

Kleinschmidt pointed out that the number of people on death row has decreased in recent years.

He added that social media has changed the way people perceive the death penalty today and has the potential to change cases’ outcomes.

“Social media has a big impact,” he said. “It has the power to change the minds of citizens listening.”

Kleinschmidt ended his speech by pointing out that most countries around the world, besides those in the Middle East, have been abolishing the use of the death penalty.

The talk — which was held in Spencer Residence Hall — was sponsored by the Kenan Community, the Campus Y and the Roosevelt Institute.

Student Body Secretary Adam Jutha, organizer of the event, said he invited Kleinschmidt because he wanted students to understand the case from a lawyer’s perspective.

“It’s important for students to be aware of what is going on outside of UNC’s campus and outside of the Chapel Hill/Carrboro community,” Jutha said. “It’s a matter of awareness.”

Junior Sienna Shute, an English major, said she attended the event because she has a strong interest in law school.

Freshman Anna Kelley said she attended because she was interested in the legal justice system and the Davis case.

“I was interested how citizens can affect the process of the death penalty,” she said.

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