News Roundup
Tuesday night, Pam Bondi was confirmed by the United States Senate as the Attorney General of the United States. Bondi previously served as Attorney General of Florida. The Senate voted […]
Case Summary: U.S. Supreme Court (Jan. 21, 2025)
This post summarizes a criminal law decision published by the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 21, 2025.
Pretrial Release of Seized Motor Vehicles
In every case where a person is charged with felony speeding to elude arrest pursuant to G.S. 20-141.5(b) or (b1), the motor vehicle driven is subject to seizure and forfeiture. […]
Case Summaries: N.C. Supreme Court (Jan. 31, 2025)
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the Supreme Court of North Carolina released on January 31, 2025. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a […]
Book Review: Framed
I’ve enjoyed quite a few books by John Grisham. I liked some of his early fiction a great deal. His more recent novels have been hit or miss for me. […]
News Roundup
The lead story this week is the sentencing of former U.S. senator Bob Menendez on Wednesday to 11 years in prison, per this report from the Washington Post. Menendez, 71, […]
O’er the Ramparts: Sizing Up the Castle Doctrine in State v. Carwile and State v. Williams
The castle doctrine statute, G.S. 14-51.2, provides that it is presumptively reasonable for the lawful occupant of a home or motor vehicle to respond to an intruder with deadly force. […]
Public Records and Minors Arrested Under Criminal Jurisdiction
Does the law that makes personally identifiable arrest information a public record apply to the arrest of a person who is 16-or 17-years-old and charged with a Class A – […]
Law Enforcement Officer Standards, Selection, and Training: How We Compare to Spain
I recently had the opportunity to travel to Spain, where I networked with academic colleagues, gave a talk about American policing, and did some research. One thing I wanted to […]
News Roundup
As one of his first acts as in office, President Trump issued sweeping pardons and commutations for the people convicted of crimes stemming from their involvement in the January 6, […]