Center for Death Penalty Litigation records, 1953-2020 and undated; 1953-ongoing

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Summary

Creator:
Center for Death Penalty Litigation
Abstract:
The Center for Death Penalty Litigation is a non-profit law firm that represents inmates on North Carolina's death row. Its work often involves the investigation of racism and the judicial process, and the treatment of people with mental disabilities charged with crimes in North Carolina. Collection contains Center for Death Penalty Litigation case files dating from 1953-2020 for seventeen inmates on North Carolina's death row during the same period: Robert Bacon Jr., David Junior Brown, Frederick Camacho, Willie Ervin Fisher, George Earl Goode Jr., Harvey Lee Green Jr., Zane Hill, David Earl Huffstetler, Joseph Timothy Keel (the largest case file at 26 boxes), Gary Wayne Long, James Lewis Martin Jr., Elton Ozell McLaughlin, Phillip Thomas Robbins Jr., Steve Van McHone, Jimmy McNeill, Clinton Cebert Smith, and Norris Carlton Taylor, as well as limited files on other inmates. Case files typically include transcripts, affidavits, attorney notes, clemency requests, petitions, pleadings, photographs, correspondence, motions, Department of Corrections documents, Resource Center files, investigative files, audiovisual materials, and some electronic records.
Extent:
139 Linear Feet
Language:
Materials in English
Collection ID:
RL.00199

Background

Scope and content:

The records of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation (CDPL) span the years 1953-2020, and contain the Center's case files for seventeen inmates on North Carolina's death row during the same period: Robert Bacon Jr., David Junior Brown, Frederick Camacho, Willie Ervin Fisher, George Earl Goode Jr., Harvey Lee Green Jr., Zane Hill, David Earl Huffstetler, Joseph Timothy Keel (the largest case file at 26 boxes), Gary Wayne Long, James Lewis Martin Jr., Elton Ozell McLaughlin, Phillip Thomas Robbins Jr., Steve Van McHone, Jimmy McNeill, Clinton Cebert Smith, and Norris Carlton Taylor, as well as limited files on other inmates and web content from the organization. The Center for Death Penalty Litigation's work often involves the investigation of racism and the judicial process, and the treatment of people with mental disabilities charged with crimes in North Carolina.[Note: materials in this collection may use outdated terms such as "mentally retarded" to refer to people with mental disabilities.] Case files typically include some combination of transcripts, affidavits, attorney notes, clemency requests, petitions, pleadings, correspondence, motions, investigative files, Department of Corrections documents, photographs, audiovisual materials, Resource Center files, and in some cases, electronic files. The case files are arranged in alphabetical order by the defendant's last name. The Web Series consists of crawls of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation website. Acquired as part of the Human Rights Archive at Duke University.

Acquisition information:
The Center for Death Penalty Litigation Records were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 2007-2009.
Processing information:

Processed by Jonathan Grilli, February 2009

Encoded by Jonathan Grilli, Paula Jeannet, March 2009

Updated by Meghan Lyon, June 2009

Updated by Michelle Runyon to include web content, May 2020

Accessions 2007-0052, 2008-0117, and 2009-0139 have been merged and described in this finding aid.

Accessions 2014-0048 and 2020-0048 processed by Patrick Stawski and Hannah Ontiveros.

Accessions 2023-0051 and 2023-0077 processed by Will Runyan, December 2024

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Some materials in this collection are fragile audiovisual formats that may need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Center for Death Penalty Litigation Records, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m16w37