Innocence claim in 1976 rape may continue in appeals court

Attorneys for a North Carolina man who says he’s innocent of a 1976 rape are planning to request a hearing before the full 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a three-judge panel refused to reopen the case.The Charlotte Observer reported that the 4th U.S. Court of Appeals voted 2-1 last week to uphold earlier federal and North Carolina court rulings in the case of Ronnie Long.Long’s attorneys from Duke University’s Wrongful Convictions Clinic, including clinic co-director J