News Roundup
The top story this week is that Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton has been charged with DUI, per this story from the UPI and AP. Retton, 57, became the […]
Case Summaries: N.C. Supreme Court (May 23, 2025)
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Supreme Court released on May 23, 2025.
New Research on Juvenile Interventions and Reoffending
I recently had the opportunity to watch a webinar on the latest research about how protective factors and strength-based services impact reoffending among justice-involved youth. The webinar focused on the […]
Case Summaries: N.C. Court of Appeals (May 21, 2025)
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on May 21, 2025. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a […]
News Roundup
On Wednesday, the Justice Department announced it is planning to drop investigations into nearly two dozen police departments accused of civil rights violations. These include departments in Memphis, TN, Pheonix, […]
The Prior Record Level Worksheet with Missing Convictions: A Persistent Ethical Dilemma
Suppose you are a defender representing a client charged with Possession of Firearm by Felon. You receive a plea offer in the case, along with the AOC-CR-600B, the “Worksheet” regularly […]
What Does it Mean for a Criminal Case if the Defendant is Legally Incompetent and Has a Court-Appointed Guardian?
Derek was twenty years old when he suffered a stroke. He lost and then subsequently regained his ability to speak and to perform simple tasks; however, he cannot manage important […]
Case Summaries: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (April 2025)
This post summarizes published criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during April 2025. Cases of potential interest to state practitioners are summarized monthly. […]
News Roundup
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that drug overdose deaths in the U.S. declined significantly in 2024 as compared to 2023, reaching their lowest […]
Immigration Detainers
An immigration detainer is one of the key tools that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses to apprehend individuals who come in contact with local and state law enforcement agencies. […]