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A defendant who claims self-defense may offer evidence of the victim’s prior violent conduct, if known to the defendant, to demonstrate the reasonableness of the defendant’s fear of the victim. […]
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on June 3, 2026. (1) The State lacks authority to appeal a district court’s verbal […]
By now, most people in the North Carolina indigent defense community know that Mary Pollard, the executive director of the North Carolina Office of Indigent Defense Services (IDS), has decided […]
The week began with the report of the capture in Mount Airy of an armed fugitive wanted for murder. Michael Puckett is accused of killing one Virginia sheriff’s deputy and […]
Where the trial court did not afford defense counsel an opportunity to rebut the prosecutor’s proffered race-neutral reasons for striking black jurors, thereby failing to conduct the third step of […]
This post is a follow-up from last month’s post Initial Appearances, Implied Consent Offenses, and Offenses Involving Impaired Driving Part 1. In Part 1, we discussed the differences and overlaps […]
Probation records are privileged. That protection stems from an old statute, G.S. 15-207, which was enacted in 1937—the same year the original North Carolina Probation Commission was established. See N.C. […]
Last week I participated in a CLE event sponsored by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Tribal Court. It was a great event and an opportunity for me to learn […]
Last Friday, violence erupted outside the Wake County Courthouse when Gwendolyn White reportedly shot at two lawyers, Mary Harris and Jeffrey Whitley. The attack happened after a tense hearing at […]
If asked if North Carolina has a speedy trial law, until relatively recently, I would have said no. A defendant does have constitutional rights to a speedy trial under the […]