News Roundup
The Charleston Post and Courier reports that Michael Slager, a former North Charleston police officer who shot and killed Walter Scott in 2015, pleaded guilty this week to a federal […]
Federal Judge Prohibits Money Bail for Indigent Defendants Charged Only with Misdemeanors
The decision, handed down April 28, 2017, comes out of Harris County, home to Houston, Texas. If you decide to read the opinion, ODonnell v. Harris County, be prepared to […]
Merger and Felony Murder: A 2017 Update
Last week I blogged about the basic rules for felony murder prosecutions in North Carolina. I promised to return this week with an update on the felony murder rule and […]
Jail Inmate Disciplinary Procedures
By administrative regulation, North Carolina’s jails are required to have written policies and procedures on inmate rules and discipline. 10A NCAC 14J .0203(a)(5). The only thing the jail regulations tell […]
Should Prosecutors Consider Collateral Consequences?
Prosecutors have wide discretion to decide how to charge defendants. In exercising that discretion, a prosecutor certainly may consider the sentence associated with each possible charge, and may choose to […]
News Roundup
There was tragic news from Bertie Correctional Institution this week where Sergeant Meggan Lee Callahan died Wednesday evening after being attacked by an inmate. Craig Wissink, who is serving a […]
“Time Served” on Another State’s Sex Offender Registry
North Carolina requires certain people to register as sex offenders in North Carolina for crimes committed in other states. But what if a person has completed his or her term […]
The Basics of Felony Murder
I can’t be the only person who was surprised to learn in my first year of law school that a person who never intended to kill someone else could be […]
May an Officer Run a Motorist’s Criminal Record During a Traffic Stop?
An officer who stops a motorist for a traffic infraction may run a computer check on the driver’s license and may check for outstanding warrants. The results of these checks […]
Hot Pursuit of a Suspect Within and Outside North Carolina
This post reviews what is commonly known as “hot pursuit” of a suspect to make an arrest outside an officer’s territorial jurisdiction. Note, however, that the actual term in G.S. […]