Cross-Examination on Pending Charges
Can the defense question a State’s witness about pending charges? May the State question the defendant or defense witnesses on their pending charges? The Rules of Evidence allow impeachment by […]
“Belk’s Department Stores, an entity capable of owning property”
The court of appeals recently decided that an indictment alleging that a defendant stole some shirts from “Belk’s Department Stores, an entity capable of owning property,” did not sufficiently identify […]
News Roundup
President Donald Trump announced yesterday that he was directing the Department of Health and Human Services to declare the national opioid crisis a public health emergency. According to a White […]
Jail Credit Basics
I get at least one jail credit question almost every day. How jail credit is tabulated and applied can be as important as the sentence itself in determining how long […]
State v. Mosley, Murder, and Depraved Heart Malice
Darian Mosley’s sentence for second degree murder was vacated last week because the jury did not specify whether he acted with (1) hatred, ill-will or spite, (2) intentionally and without […]
State v. Messer, Uncorroborated Confessions & the Corpus Delicti Rule
A few years ago, I wrote a blog post (here) about the corpus delicti rule. That rule popped up in a recent court of appeals case, State v. Messer. Here’s […]
New Book on Traffic Stops and Offenses
I’m pleased to announce that the School of Government has just released a new book entitled Pulled Over: The Law of Traffic Stops and Offenses in North Carolina. Shea Denning, […]
News Roundup
It’s been a year since a Molotov cocktail was thrown through the window of the Orange County Republican Party headquarters in Hillsborough, causing substantial damage to the building. The FBI […]
I’m Just a Civil Judgment
Many of you probably remember the “I’m Just a Bill” segment from the Schoolhouse Rock! series. It explained—through a musical number that will be stuck in your head all day—how […]
From This Day Forward: Technical Corrections Act Amends Statute of Limitations
While we wait to see what the North Carolina Supreme Court has to say in State v. Turner about the existing statute of limitations for misdemeanors, the General Assembly has […]