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WHAT THE DATA REVEALED
Prosecutorial Districts
District attorneys are elected public officials in North Carolina, and they represent the state in prosecutions. The district in which they work is called a “prosecutorial district.” Take a look at what happened in your prosecutorial district, when it comes to sexual assault convictions.
Graphic by Cassandra Sherrill of the Winston-Salem Journal.
How did we do this analysis? Read about it here.
County-by-county
Find out what happened in every one of North Carolina’s 100 counties when it comes to the conviction of sexual assault cases.
Graphic by Cassandra Sherrill of the Winston-Salem Journal.
How did we do this analysis? Read about it here.
VIDEO CLIPS AND STORIES
Samantha White: Her story and what she thinks should happen now
Paul Woolverton, The Fayetteville Observer
Monika Johnson Hostler: Has a decade made a difference?
Tyler Dukes and Brad Simmons/WRAL-TV
Monika Johnson Hostler: On how NC compares to other states
Tyler Dukes and Brad Simmons/WRAL-TV
Attorney General Josh Stein: Measuring success of prosecutions
Tyler Dukes and Jamie Munden/WRAL-TV
Monika Johnson Hostler: Teamwork and specialized training needed
Tyler Dukes and Brad Simmons/WRAL-TV
Rep. Chaz Beasley: Bipartisan action needed in North Carolina consent law
Tyler Dukes and Alex McClarnon/WRAL-TV
Monika Johnson Hostler: On NC ruling that says consent can’t be revoked once act has begun
Tyler Dukes and Brad Simmons/WRAL-TV
Monika Johnson Hostler: NC statute makes it difficult to seek convictions against perpetrators whose victims have been drinking, doing drugs
Tyler Dukes and Brad Simmons/WRAL-TV
CONVERSATION
Public Newsmakers forum in Fayetteville
Carolina Public Press held a public forum about issues surrounding the conviction of sexual assault cases in North Carolina in Fayetteville on March 19, 2019, following the release of its statewide investigative collaboration, Seeking Conviction: Justice elusive for NC sexual assault survivors.
Panelists are Deanne Gerdes, executive director of Rape Crisis Volunteers of Cumberland County; Liz Herring, Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Coordinator, Cape Fear Valley Health System; Alicia Marks, assistant district attorney, NC Prosecutorial District 14, Cumberland County; Lt. John Somerindyke, commander, Special Victims Unit, Fayetteville Police Department; and Bella Truong, assistant district attorney, NC Prosecutorial District 14, Cumberland County. Moderators are Carolina Public Press Managing Editor Frank Taylor and lead Investigative Reporter Kate Martin.
Public Newsmakers forum in Raleigh
Carolina Public Press held a public forum about issues surrounding the conviction of sexual assault cases in North Carolina in Raleigh on March 20, 2019, following the release of its statewide investigative collaboration, Seeking Conviction: Justice elusive for NC sexual assault survivors.
Panelists are Rep. Chaz Beasley, Mecklenburg (D); Mary Williams-Stover, executive director of the NC Council for Women; Monika Johnson Hostler, executive director, NC Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Paul Phelan Jr., instructor developer, North Carolina Justice Academy; Lauren Schwartz, sexual assault nurse examiner and director of The Solace Center, InterAct of Wake County; and Amanda Thompson, Laboratory Assistant Director for Administration Operations with the State Crime Laboratory. Moderators are Carolina Public Press Managing Editor Frank Taylor and lead Investigative Reporter Kate Martin.
Public Newsmakers forum in Charlotte
Carolina Public Press held a public forum about issues surrounding the conviction of sexual assault cases in North Carolina in the Charlotte area on March 26, 2019, following the release of its statewide investigative collaboration, Seeking Conviction: Justice elusive for NC sexual assault survivors.
Panelists are Crystal Emerick, founder and executive director, Brave Step; Cori Goldstein, director of Sexual Trauma Resource Center, Safe Alliance; Holly Jones, community partnership and outreach coordinator, North Carolina Department of Justice; and Spencer B. Merriweather III, district attorney, NC Prosecutorial District 26, Mecklenburg County. Moderators are Carolina Public Press Managing Editor Frank Taylor and lead Investigative Reporter Kate Martin.
ABOUT THE SERIES
Carolina Public Press lead investigative reporter Kate Martin appears on CNN’s Headline News to discuss Seeking Conviction: Justice elusive for NC sexual assault survivors.
In this episode of The Kicker, Carolina Public Press’s managing editor Frank Taylor talks with CPP lead investigative reporter Kate Martin about Seeking Conviction, a multi-part investigative reporting project that CPP led in collaboration with 10 other news media partners around North Carolina. Seeking Conviction is a data-driven investigation looking at sexual assault prosecutions statewide and in individual jurisdictions.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
SEEKING CONVICTION MADE POSSIBLE BY
Carolina Public Press created and managed the Seeking Conviction project, in partnership with 10 other news organizations in North Carolina, linked above. We are grateful for their dedication, work and support in making this project happen and enriching the information and context it contains.
Also, this Carolina Public Press collaborative investigative reporting project was ultimately made possible by the financial support of individuals and foundations who believe in CPP’s work to provide independent, in-depth and investigative reporting in North Carolina. Specific support was provided by the North Carolina Local News Lab and the Fund for Investigative Journalism. We are very grateful for their support.
