Op-Ed: Local advocate expresses disappointment with Governor Cooper
Op-Ed: By Wanda Cox
Do you know that feeling when someone you admire disappoints you? I felt that at an unprecedented level on New Year’s Eve when Governor Cooper completed his commutations. As a citizen of North Carolina, and an advocate for Charles McNeair who was awaiting clemency, I was extremely confused and shocked because it was my belief Governor Cooper was a man who valued justice and cared about those incarcerated in NC Prisons. We expected mercy, especially for those who were incarcerated as juveniles, those with wrongful convictions and those with excessively harsh sentences. It is as though Governor Cooper had hundreds of famished, starving people before him and chose to only give food to a few. Before I go further, let me affirm that I am grateful for those who received the benefit of his mercy and have no quarrel with them. My frustration is with the self proclaimed Christian Governor that had the executive power to feed many, said he would, but chose only a handful to be “worthy”. That is not justice, mercy or compassion. It is an absolute travesty and I remain extremely disappointed.
Former President Jimmy Carter once said, “In the final analysis, true justice is not a matter of courts and law books, but of a commitment in each of us to liberty and mutual respect”. Jimmy Carter was also a true ambassador for his beliefs in the life he lived. Governor Cooper took a hard detour in his last days regarding what he said he would do for many incarcerated in North Carolina. During his tenure, Governor Cooper acknowledged problems in NC Prisons and said he would help. He established the Juvenile Sentence Review Board recommended by the Governor’s Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice because incarcerated individuals were and still are disproportionately black in our prisons. Many of us believed and trusted this was an actionable plan to administer justice.
Governor Cooper knew that many like Charles McNeair, who were incarcerated before Fair Sentencing was enacted, were especially hopeful to finally experience justice. Those falling into this category of rogue sentencing often received excessively harsh sentences, clearly influenced by the racism of the time. Charles McNeair of Lexington, North Carolina is a perfect example. Today his sentence for the same alleged crime would be less than 15 years in prison. Charles was sentenced to life, plus 10 years. Yes, you read that right. Charles is to serve his life, plus another 10 years after that for a crime for which there is no police file to document even taking place. There was no evidence introduced, even though the DA at the time brazenly told newspapers there was. Our entire justice system is based on proving a crime took place. Yet Charles McNeair was left to languish in prison where he has been for 45 years because he was scared into a guilty plea to save his life. He was “lynched” in the papers with unsubstantiated claims by a DA that was a known racist and sentenced by a judge nicknamed “the hanging judge”. The justice system discarded him to save the reputation of a white woman. This often happened in the south during this time.
Governor Cooper promised us reform in our prison system. He had the executive power to render change, hope and promise to many individuals who remain in prison today. Governor Cooper and his staff just said no to feeding many starving men freedom. Those making decisions don’t even take the time to meet the individuals whose lives they hold in the palm of their hand as they administer “justice”. Charles McNeair has served 45 years in prison, yet never personally met anyone on the parole board, in the Juvenile Justice Review Board, Clemency Board or the Governor’s staff. They have never shaken his hand, looked into his eyes and acknowledged his accomplishments in prison, his clean record, his educational advances or good behavior. I have watched as his clemency petition sat on Cooper’s desk for 3 New Year’s (since September 2022). Each New Year Charles McNeair has remained on course with positive behavior, educational accomplishments and hope. When I talked to him on New Year's Eve I told him he woke up that day as a man of integrity and great value and was no less so because Governor Cooper did not grant him clemency. However, I also told him Governor Cooper had greatly diminished his integrity by not living up to his promises to help those in need with the power he possessed.
Wanda Cox
Lexington, NC
