Better Than Ever: A New Criminal Case Compendium
As many blog readers know, I’ve been offering my free Criminal Case Compendium since 2008. The Compendium is a collection of U.S. Supreme Court, Fourth Circuit & published N.C. criminal […]
The Prior Probation Violation Aggravating Factor
One of the statutory aggravating factors for felony sentencing is that the defendant has, during the 10-year period prior to the commission of the offense now being sentenced, been found […]
State v. Huey: Repeatedly Insinuating that the Defendant Was a Liar Was Improper but Not Prejudicial
The North Carolina Supreme Court decided State v. Huey on Friday, reversing the court of appeals’ determination that the State’s closing argument unfairly prejudiced the defendant in his trial for […]
“Office Hours” This Week
This Thursday at lunchtime (12:30 to 1:30) we will host our monthly “office hours” conference call. Shea Denning, Phil Dixon, and I will discuss recent developments in criminal law and […]
News Roundup
Sports fans across the country were shocked this week to learn that for several years the FBI and federal prosecutors have been investigating what one prosecutor has described as “the […]
Costs “Not Assessed”
Under G.S. 7A-304(a), when a defendant is convicted, court costs “shall be assessed,” unless the court waives them pursuant to a written order determining that there is just cause to […]
Want to Know about Judicial Selection? Learn from the Best.
A group of district court judges gathered at the School last week for a class focused on the establishment of school justice partnerships, a central component of the Raise the […]
U.S. Supreme Court Preview: Carpenter v. United States
In June, the United States Supreme Court granted certiorari in Carpenter v. United States (No. 16-402) (docket here), a case involving the intersection of technology and the Fourth Amendment and […]
News Roundup
Over the weekend a Georgia Tech student was shot and killed by a campus police officer in a tragic incident that set off protests on the school’s campus this week. […]
G.S. 90-96(a) Is Mandatory Unless both the Judge and the State Say No
I wrote a post in July asking whether conditional discharge under G.S. 90-96(a) is discretionary or mandatory for a consenting defendant. A case decided this week offers some clarification.