▁an ▁election ▁year , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁tur mo il ▁and ▁Governor ▁H unt ▁and ▁the ▁Democratic ▁party ▁were ▁wor ried ▁about ▁the ▁back l ash ▁that ▁would ▁ens ue ▁if ▁the ▁men ▁were ▁still ▁imprison ed ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁election . ▁Herbert ▁N . ▁La pe ▁who ▁was ▁serving ▁as ▁the ▁vice - ch air man ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁Carolina ▁state ▁dem ocr atic ▁party ▁stated ▁in ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁H unt ▁that ▁many ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁view ▁" the ▁Charlotte ▁Three ▁[ case ] ▁as ▁[ a ] ▁primarily ▁white ▁w itch ▁[ h unt ] ▁that ▁involved ▁ra cial ▁big ot ry ". ▁A ▁secretary ▁by ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁Joseph ▁Gr ims ley ▁also ▁stated ▁in ▁a ▁mem o ▁to ▁Governor ▁H unt , ▁"[ the ] ▁state ' s ▁repr ess ive ▁image ▁is ▁beginning ▁to ▁sp ill ▁over ▁in ▁this ▁administration ▁to ▁yours ▁personally ". ▁ ▁The ▁administration ▁was ▁in ▁a ▁position ▁where ▁it ▁had ▁to ▁save ▁face ▁by ▁reducing ▁the ▁sentences ▁or ▁else ▁face ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁losing ▁control ▁to ▁another ▁party . ▁The ▁judge ▁had ▁originally ▁given ▁out ▁the ▁long ▁sentences ▁because ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁show ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁" the ▁sm ash ing ▁of ▁a ▁dangerous ▁Black ▁revolution ▁plot ". ▁He ▁hoped ▁to ▁set ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁the ▁men , ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁wor ried ▁of ▁more ▁of ▁these ▁plots ▁in ▁the ▁future . ▁ ▁Crit ic ism ▁▁ ▁The ▁case ▁of ▁the ▁Charlotte ▁Three ▁was ▁not ▁something ▁that ▁was