Wake DA Candidate Damon Chetson Says, If Elected, He Will Not Pursue the Death Penalty or Prosecute Low-Level Marijuana Crimes

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

43% : "The Democratic voters in this county are progressive and yet we have a prosecutor who, in some ways, is far more regressive than Republican prosecutors in other counties, particularly on the death penalty," Chetson told the INDY.
43% : Freeman and Chetson will face off at a forum hosted by Emancipate NC this week, fielding questions on criminal justice reform and racial equity.
42% : While the number of capital cases has decreased over the last decade, Freeman says the death penalty is still warranted for the most egregious of crimes, and she's pursued it in several high-profile cases.
42% : For Chetson, that starts with ending the death penalty.
40% : If elected, he vows to use his discretion to effectively end the death penalty in Wake County and stop prosecuting certain nonviolent misdemeanors such as marijuana possession.
40% : In 2013, the Racial Justice Act, which said race could not be a factor in seeking the death penalty, was repealed.
40% : But for Chetson, it goes further than the death penalty: he believes the county's legal department needs to diversify from within, pointing to high turnover under Freeman's tenure and her failure to hire more Black lawyers.
39% : The outcome could effectively end capital punishment in the state, experts say.

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