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. Before running for public office, Ezzell was a solicitor. Politically, Ezzell was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

from

Nash County Nash County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 94,970. Its county seat is Nashville. Nash County is part of the Rocky Mount, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The area ...

who served in the

North Carolina House of Representatives The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, Speaker of the House, who holds powers si ...

from 1977 to 1981, and as a member of the

North Carolina Senate The North Carolina Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the North Carolina General Assembly, which along with the North Carolina House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the state legislature of North Carolina. The Senate ...

from 1985 to his death. In his first term as a state representative, he expressed opposition to the death penalty in cases of rape. 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 Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

. He was ejected from the vehicle, which rolled onto him. His wife Patsy, was a passenger, and not severely injured.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ezzell, Jim 1936 births 1991 deaths American politicians with disabilities Democratic Party North Carolina state senators Road incident deaths in North Carolina People from Nash County, North Carolina Democratic Party members of the North Carolina House of Representatives 20th-century American lawyers North Carolina lawyers American lawyers with disabilities 20th-century members of the North Carolina General Assembly