North Carolina does not forbid the execution of juvenile...

North Carolina does not forbid the execution of juvenile offenders but does have life without parole. A jury decides the sentence. The Governor has the exclusive authority to grant clemency. In August 2001, the death penalty was forbidden for mentally retarded and in May Governor Easley ratified a law approved by the Parliament that would allow prosecutors to seek life in prison without parole for a 1st-degree conviction even when aggravating circumstances are present.