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2 <br /> 1 <br /> 2 b. Matters on the Printed Agenda <br /> 3 (These matters will be considered when the Board addresses that item on the agenda <br /> 4 below.) <br /> 5 <br /> 6 3. Petitions by Board Members <br /> 7 Commissioner Price petitioned the board regarding the logo and public relations efforts <br /> 8 and requested a more comprehensive dialogue on this before it goes to print. <br /> 9 Chair Jacobs ask for a re-institution of the practice of getting monthly planning reports to <br /> 10 advise the board about applications, special use permits, etc. <br /> 11 <br /> 12 4. Proclamations/ Resolutions/ Special Presentations <br /> 13 <br /> 143. a. Resolution To Repeal the Death Penalty and Use the Savings To Assist Murder <br /> 15 Victims' Families and Help Prevent Violent Crime <br /> 16 The Board will consider a resolution to call upon the State of North Carolina and the <br /> 17 Federal Government to repeal the death penalty and to use the savings to assist murder <br /> 18 victims' families and help prevent violent crime and authorize the Chair to sign. <br /> 19 Chair Jacobs said this resolution was in reference to a citizen's petition. <br /> 20 <br /> 21 PUBLIC COMMENT: <br /> 22 Alan Archibald said he lives in Hillsborough and he is here to ask for support for this <br /> 23 resolution. He said his family has worked for three generations for the repeal of the death <br /> 24 penalty. He said that, ten years ago, his 8 year old daughter wrote a letter in support of a death <br /> 25 row inmate, who was later pardoned. He said there has been racial bias in sentencing. He said <br /> 26 equal treatment before the law is a sacred part of the legal system, but with the death penalty, <br /> 27 there is very unequal treatment before the law. He said many death row inmates have been <br /> 28 convicted by inaccurate eyewitness testimony; however, there is often enough physical <br /> 29 evidence for exoneration. He said the potential for miscarriage of justice should give pause on <br /> 30 this issue. He referred to an NPR broadcast on the subject. <br /> 31 Quinten Harper said he is a resident of Carrboro and he would strongly encourage the <br /> 32 Board to support this resolution. He said today marked his consciousness in drawing the line in <br /> 33 the sand, and he asked the Board members to also draw a line in supporting the repeal of the <br /> 34 death penalty. He shared some facts, stating that in N.C., the death penalty has led to the <br /> 35 deaths of 7 innocent people. He said the hope is that the justice system is fair and everyone is <br /> 36 entitled to due process of the law. He said there are those that would like to repeal the social <br /> 37 justice act and he feels this would be a step backwards. He said he is a person of faith, whose <br /> 38 Bible says "thou shall not kill." He said that no one is given the power to take life. He asked the <br /> 39 Board members to be the conscience of the state and he noted that Carrboro and Chapel Hill <br /> 40 support this. <br /> 41 Stephen Dear brought forth this petition for consideration of this resolution and he said <br /> 42 Orange County would be the first county in the state to pass this resolution, which would <br /> 43 strongly reflect the wishes of most of those in the county. He read the resolution as follows: <br /> 44 <br /> 45 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> 46 <br /> 47 RESOLUTION TO REPEAL THE DEATH PENALTY AND USE THE SAVINGS TO ASSIST <br /> 48 MURDER VICTIMS' FAMILIES AND HELP PREVENT VIOLENT CRIME <br /> 49 <br />