“Second Look” Sentencing Is Not the Law in North Carolina
Some states have passed laws authorizing judges to review sentences after a defendant has served a specified portion of the sentence. They are sometimes referred to as “second look” laws. […]
Congratulations to Newly Certified Magistrates
Magistrates are often referred to as the “first face” of the judicial system. They are critical to upholding the due process rights of North Carolina’s citizens. One of the best […]
Pants on Fire: Character Evidence in Braswell and Toomer
Courts look with particular suspicion on character evidence, and a number of rules seek to confine that sort of evidence to its proper place. Two recent cases illustrate the problem. […]
Case Summaries: N.C. Court of Appeals (Feb. 4, 2026)
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on February 4, 2026. Superior court did not lack jurisdiction when misdemeanor charge was initiated […]
News Roundup
News about crime, criminal justice, and the courts often tends towards the gloomy, so I’m going to start this week with some positive news. The Carolina Journal has a story […]
State v. Julius, Round Two: Court of Appeals in Fractured Opinion Affirms Trial Court’s Determination that Good Faith Exception Applies
The North Carolina Supreme Court held in State v. Julius, 385 N.C. 331 (2023) (Julius I), that an officer’s warrantless search of a vehicle trapped in a ditch and partially […]
Trends and Highlights from the 2024 DWI Sentencing Statistical Report
As 2025 came to a close, the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission published the Driving While Impaired Convictions Statistical Report for Fiscal Year 2024 (hereinafter “the report”). The […]
Case v. Montana Attempts to Clarify the Emergency Aid Exception to the Warrant Requirement
When can law enforcement officers enter a person’s home, without a warrant, in order to provide emergency assistance? How sure must the officers be that assistance is needed before an […]
News Roundup
Ryan Wedding, a former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, pled not guilty on Monday to running a lucrative drug trafficking ring. PBS has the story. Wedding competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics […]
Expunction Changes and Updated Expunction Guide for 2026
The 2025 legislative session was relatively quiet for expunction law but still potentially important for some people. I have incorporated the changes in the law into the latest version of […]