Jonathan Babb News Today

The trial court did not clearly err in determining that the state did not improperly use its peremptory strikes against Black jurors. The white jurors who gave similar answers and who were not struck were more pro-death penalty and appeared less likely to improperly sympathize with the defendant and/or to give more credibility to the

The N.C. Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in the case of a death-row inmate who alleges that Forsyth County prosecutors used a training document to make up non-racial reasons

Judge Wayland J. Sermons, Jr. heard Hasson Bacote’s Racial Justice Act claim in Wake County Superior Court on May 20, 2021. The first case re-evaluating the role of racial bias in the death penalty began last week in Wake County, the result of a landmark 2020 state Supreme Court decision. Hasson Bacote was convicted of murdering Anthony Surles, an 18-year-old high schooler in Johnston County in 2007, WRAL reported. A jury sentenced Bacote to death in 2009. That same year, the General Assemb...

FUNDRAISERS held in memory of an inspirational Stourbridge woman have raised an incredible £17,000 for Stourbridges Mary Stevens Hospice where she spent her final days. Kate Turner (nee Winning), aged 47, passed away at the hospice on December 1 after a re-occurrence of the acute myeloid leukaemia that she had so bravely and successfully battled as a young woman more than 20 years ago. Much-loved Kate courageously fought a three-year battle against the deadly disease in the late 1990s du...

The N.C. Supreme Court ordered on Friday a new trial for Molly Corbett and Thomas Martens in the 2015 murder of Irish businessman Jason Corbett, saying that the two were denied a fair trial. The decision comes about two months after the court heard oral arguments in the case via video due to the ongoing pandemic. In a 4-3 decision, the state Supreme Court upheld the decision by the N.C. Court of Appeals to overturn the murder convictions of Molly Corbett and Martens. In the next three weeks, th...

KILLERS Tom and Molly Martens have dramatically won a full retrial over their conviction for the murder of Irish businessman Jason Corbett (39). The North Carolina Supreme Court today ratified a Court of Appeal decision that the father and daughter should have a new trial as it was deemed their ability to argue self defence at their 2017 trial had been unfairly hindered. It was decided by a majority decision of four judges to three on the Supreme Court just three months after an oral hearing wa...

THE Irish family of a murdered father of two said they have placed their faith in God and will now work to help US prosecutors convict his killers for a second time.

THE Irish family of a murdered father of two said they have placed their faith in God and will now work to help US prosecutors convict his killers for a second time.

John Robert Babb Jr. WILMINGTON — John Robert Babb, Jr., 73, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, surrounded by the love of family. John lived his earthly life as though he did not do anything extraordinary. Yet, he did wonderful things for the people he came into contact with. His childhood was highlighted with many fine events with his parents, Katie (Campfield) and John Robert “Rob” Babb. He maintained a strong sense of pride in attending school at Tileston and New Hanover High. Like ma...

WALLBURG — The North Carolina Supreme Court heard arguments Monday regarding a lower court’s ruling to overturn the convictions of Thomas Martens and Molly Corbett. Found guilty in August 2017 of murdering Irish native Jason Corbett, Martens, a retired FBI agent, and his daughter had their convictions overturned last February, but the decision was appealed by prosecutors. Corbett, 39, was found dead inside his Meadowlands home in August 2015. His wife Molly and her father were convict...