A Quarter-Century of Structured Sentencing
The governor has proclaimed today, October 1, 2019, as Structured Sentencing Day. It has been 25 years since North Carolina’s primary sentencing law for felonies and misdemeanors came into effect. […]
Comparing the Role Victims Play in Criminal Court: Mexico vs. North Carolina
Two years ago, I wrote about training prosecutors, forensic experts, and investigative police in Mexico. I’ve been back a couple of times since, including last week. Each time I learn […]
News Roundup
The North Carolina Department of Public Safety announced this week that it will temporarily suspend operations at three prisons to alleviate high staff vacancy rates and enhance safety and security […]
Crimes Covered under the New Victims’ Rights Law
Which crimes are covered under the new victims’ rights amendment and its implementing statute?
Commercial Motor Vehicles and Masking
The federal government wants judges to know more about masking. What is it, and what do judges need to know?
New Delinquency Laws – It’s Not Just Raise the Age
Believe it or not, there is new juvenile delinquency law to wrap your head around other than the Juvenile Jurisdiction Reinvestment Act, which will raise the age of juvenile court […]
What Americans Think about Bail
In 2018, a national survey asked Americans what they thought of our pretrial justice systems. Their responses? Strong support for expanded pretrial release. The survey was done by a bipartisan […]
News Roundup
The former UNC Charlotte student who attacked a classroom on the school’s campus earlier this year, killing two people and wounding four others, pleaded guilty to murder in Mecklenburg Superior […]
Use of Summons v. Arrest in North Carolina Misdemeanor Cases: A County-Level Analysis
Under state law, pretrial conditions must be set after a defendant is arrested for a crime, and this typically occurs at the initial appearance before a magistrate. G.S. 15A-511. Although […]
Case Summaries – N.C. Court of Appeals (9/17/2019)
This post provides summaries of the criminal cases (and one juvenile case) decided by the court of appeals on September 17, 2019.