Jacob Biba | The Garrison Project

The North Carolina Post-Release and Parole Commission has denied Brett Abrams release more than 20 times since 1993, even after a federal district court judge blasted the commission in 2015 for not providing people who committed crimes as children a “meaningful opportunity” to prove they’ve been rehabilitated. Now, he's suing.

Frank Junior Chambers’ attorneys believe a district attorney violated the 1986 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Batson v. Kentucky, which bars using race as a reason for excluding jurors. But in December, a Superior Court judge rejected Chambers’ claims, ruling that they were procedurally barred and without merit.