Recent blog posts

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this term in Kian v. Florida on whether the Sixth Amendment guarantees a criminal defendant the right to a twelve-member jury. In […]

This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on October 7, 2026. Appeal as to purported errors in the jury instructions on self-defense […]

National headlines this week have focused on the failed execution of Christa Pike. She was sentenced to death in Tennessee for fatally stabbing her classmate Colleen Slemmer in 1995. Last […]

The latest version of the Structured Sentencing Statistical Report from the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission is now available here. As always, it is a goldmine of sentencing […]

In the criminal law context, magistrates primarily conduct initial appearances for individuals who have just been arrested, issue criminal process in the form of charging documents, and issue search warrants. […]

Deborah is charged with a high-level felony offense for which a judicial official imposes a $1,000,000 secured bond. Deborah—not having the cash on hand or a mortgage sufficient to cover […]

Magistrates regularly determine whether probable cause exists to issue search warrants, see G.S. 15A-245(b), arrest warrants, see G.S. 15A-304(d), and criminal summonses, see G.S. 15A-303(c). They also decide whether probable […]

Police in Santa Ana, California, issued a public advisory on Monday after receiving a report of a large snake in a tree in a residential neighborhood. The snake was believed […]

I am pleased to announce the publication of a new Administration of Justice Bulletin explaining the standards for and procedures governing the discipline, suspension, and removal of various North Carolina […]

This year, the School has been tasked with several projects under the research mandate in Session Law 2025-93 (H.B. 307, “Iryna’s Law”). This post summarizes the preliminary findings for one […]