James Earl Ezzell Jr. (6 September 1936 – 30 January 1991) was an American politician from North Carolina.

Ezzell was physically disabled from birth and could not walk without the use of mobility aids, frequently utilizing crutches or a motorized cart.[1] Before running for public office, Ezzell was a solicitor.[2] Politically, Ezzell was a Democrat from Nash County who served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1977 to 1981, and as a member of the North Carolina Senate from 1985 to his death.[1] In his first term as a state representative, he expressed opposition to the death penalty in cases of rape.[3] Ezzell died in a single-car road incident on 30 January 1991, when the vehicle he was driving struck a bridge abatement near downtown Raleigh. He was ejected from the vehicle, which rolled onto him. His wife Patsy, was a passenger, and not severely injured.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c "State senator Ezzell killed in car wreck". Greensboro News & Record. 30 January 1991. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Man accused in Pa. slaying arrested on Edgecombe farm". Rocky Mount Telegram. 8 March 1965. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  3. ^ "General Assembly may restore death penalty for murder but not rape". The Robesonian. 7 February 1977. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
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