Marcus Robinson (prisoner) facts for kids

Marcus Reymond Robinson (born April 2, 1973 – died June 9, 2022) was an African-American man involved in a significant legal case in North Carolina. He was a central figure in the first use of a special law called the Racial Justice Act. This act allowed people facing serious sentences to ask for a review if they believed racism affected their trial.

The Racial Justice Act

The Racial Justice Act was a law passed in North Carolina in 2009. It was created to make sure that trials were fair for everyone. This act allowed people who had been given a serious sentence to ask for a new review of their case. They could do this if they could show that racial bias played a part in their original trial. The goal was to ensure that race did not unfairly influence legal decisions.

Why the Act Was Important

This law was very important because it gave people a chance to prove unfairness. It aimed to address concerns about how race might affect jury selection or other parts of a trial. If a person could show that racism was a factor, their sentence could be changed. For example, a death sentence could be changed to life in prison.

Robinson's Case and the Act

Marcus Robinson was the first person to use the Racial Justice Act. In 1991, he was involved in a serious legal matter concerning the death of Erik Tornblom. He was later sentenced to death.

Using the Act for Appeal

In April 2012, Robinson's lawyers used the Racial Justice Act to appeal his sentence. They presented information from a study done by Michigan State University. This study suggested that qualified Black citizens were often unfairly kept out of jury service in North Carolina. This was true both generally and specifically in Robinson's trial.

The Judge's Decision

After reviewing the evidence, North Carolina Superior Court judge Gregory Weeks agreed with Robinson's lawyers. Judge Weeks found that the Racial Justice Act applied to Robinson's case. Because of this finding, Judge Weeks ordered that Robinson be removed from death row. This was a major event, as Robinson was the very first person to successfully use this new law.

Challenging the Decision

The Racial Justice Act was later removed in 2013. Two years after that, in 2015, the North Carolina Supreme Court looked at Robinson's case again. They decided to cancel the earlier ruling in North Carolina v. Robinson. This was not because of the facts of the case, but because of a legal procedure. The court felt that the prosecutors had not been given enough time to get ready for the hearing.

A new trial court then dismissed Robinson's case. In May 2017, Robinson filed an appeal to the state's Supreme Court once more.

Later Life and Passing

Marcus Reymond Robinson passed away on June 9, 2022. He was 49 years old. He died at 12:35 PM.