NC Supreme Court grills attorneys on ‘life’ terms

RALEIGH, N.C. — The fate of dozens of violent inmates sentenced under a decades-old law is now in the hands of the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Justices spent Tuesday morning grilling attorneys about the meaning of the 1970s law. An attorney for two of the inmates contended the law simply defines their sentences as 80 years and they’ve earned sentence-reduction credits to lower those terms further.

An attorney for the state said the sentences are still considered “life” terms and the state does not apply sentence-reduction credits to inmates serving life sentences.

Attorneys for both sides gave only brief arguments before the justices interrupted and began asking questions. A decision could affect dozens of inmates the state is trying to keep behind bars.

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