Case Summaries: Supreme Court of North Carolina (December 12, 2025)
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the Supreme Court of North Carolina released on December 12, 2025.
Case Summaries: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (Nov. 2025)
This post summarizes published criminal law cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during November 2025. Cases of potential interest to state practitioners are summarized monthly. Previous summaries […]
News Roundup
Last month, a federal judge dismissed mortgage fraud charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James based on what the court determined was the improper appointment of Acting United States […]
2025 Changes to North Carolina Gun Laws
December is an exciting time of year. Some people are focused on the upcoming holidays, others on the chance of snow flurries. Here at the School of Government, we’re paying […]
Mental Health Defenses—Diminished Capacity and Voluntary Intoxication: What Can the Expert Say?
In mounting a diminished capacity or voluntary intoxication defense in a first-degree murder case, the defense attempts to “negate” the element of specific intent, premeditation, or deliberation. To negate in […]
An Update on North Carolina’s Good Samaritan Harm Reduction Law
In an earlier blog post, I summarized North Carolina’s harm reduction immunity laws, including our safe syringe exchange law, G.S. 90-113.27, our Good Samaritan law, G.S. 90-96.2, and others. North […]
Case Summaries: N.C. Court of Appeals (Dec. 3, 2025)
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on December 3, 2025. Trial court did not err by admitting expert testimony on historical […]
NEWS ROUNDUP
Elizabeth Holmes, who was convicted in 2022 for defrauding investors and is now serving time in federal prison, claimed this week that a key piece of evidence against her was […]
State v. Chemuti and the Release of Law Enforcement Agency Recordings to District Court Defendants
The North Carolina Supreme Court in State v. Chemuti, __ N.C. __, 920 S.E.2d 810 (2025), clarified the interplay between the statutory provisions in G.S. 132-1.4A governing release of certain […]
DART Center Tour, Program Overview, and Practical Takeaways
In October, we administered a class on DWI substantive law and procedure for District Court Judges and Magistrates. As part of that program, I took a group of judges to […]