Take Action Now!
On Thursday, January 25, 2007 Judge Don Stephens ordered that the state's current decision to change the physician's role in Capital Punishment must be approved by the governor and the Council of State. In the order, Judge Stephens halted executions until that approval happens.
With this ruling, North Carolina became the 11h state to halt executions since December of 2006 and the first state to have this action taken by a Superior Court judge.
Herein lies the situation: In North Carolina, physicians are required by statute to participate in executions. However, the North Carolina Medical Board's policy is that physicians are forbidden from participating in executions due to their ethical code to "do no harm". Because of this intersection in law and morality and ethics, the State of North Carolina proposed a new method of execution that does not include the participation of a physician. Judge Stephens found that this significant change in execution protocol is prohibited since it has not been approved by the Governor and the Council of State, and summarily halted executions until the issue is resolved.
The next scheduled meeting of the North Carolina Council of State is scheduled for Tuesday, February 6, 2007. We need you to do the following to ensure our message is heard:
- Read and edit the form letter below. Your correspondance will be sent to every Council of State member as either a fax or an email according to your choosing.
- Once you have completed the transmission, follow the instructions and forward the message to all of your friends.
- Call each member of the NC Council of State! Tell them the importance of a careful review of our current method of execution and capital punishment process and that legislative action is necessary. Their contact information is as follows:
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Beverly Perdue
310 N. Blount Street, 27603
20401 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0401
(919) 733-7350 Fax: 733-6595
STATE TREASURER
Richard H. Moore
Albemarle Building
325 N. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
(919) 508-5176 Fax: 508-5167
STATE AUDITOR
Les Merritt
Old Revenue Building
2 S. Salisbury Street
20601 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0601
(919) 807-7500 Fax: 807-7647
COMMISSIONER OF LABOR
Cherie K. Berry
Labor Building
4 W. Edenton Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 733-7166 Fax: 733-6197
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Roy A. Cooper, III
Old Education Building
114 W. Edenton Street
Raleigh, NC 27602
(919) 716-6400 Fax: 716-6750
SECRETARY OF STATE
Elaine F. Marshall
Old Revenue Building
2 S. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 807-2005 Fax: 807-2020
COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE
James E. Long
Dobbs Building
430 N. Salisbury Street, 27603
P.O. Box 2638
Raleigh, NC 27611
(919) 733-7343 Fax: 733-6495
SUPT. OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
June Atkinson
301 N. Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
(919) 807-3430 Fax: 807-3445
COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE
Steve Troxler
Agriculture Building
2 W. Edenton Street
1001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1001
(919)733-7125 Fax: 733-1141
