Proving a Minor’s Sexual Purpose for Sexual Assault Crimes
A recent Court of Appeals opinion turned on a point of law that sometimes trips up folks in sexual assault cases: When a juvenile is alleged to have committed a […]
News Roundup
The Durham Herald-Sun reports that the long saga of the Michael Peterson murder case may conclude later this month with a plea bargain. As the Herald-Sun article recounts, Peterson was […]
2017 Sentencing Commission Statistical Report Available
It’s a chilly, blustery day in Chapel Hill, but I see signs of spring. The days are getting a little longer. College basketball season kicks into high gear tonight. And […]
State v. Parisi Answers DWI Procedural Riddle
Criminal procedure aficionados, close your red books and riddle me this: A district court judge in a DWI case preliminarily grants a defendant’s motion to suppress. The State appeals to […]
Court of Appeals Rejects Habitual Felon Sentence Based on Enhanced Sentence for Misdemeanor Possession of Marijuana
Suppose a person is convicted of the misdemeanor of possessing more than 1/2 ounce but no more than 1 1/2 ounces of marijuana, a Class 1 misdemeanor under G.S. 90-95(d)(4). […]
News Roundup
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump nominated Tenth Circuit Judge Neil Gorsuch to the open seat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Widely viewed as having a similar ideological mold as the […]
Probation Supervision, Behind the Scenes
What’s a structured intervention worksheet? What’s a Carey Guide? And what do judges and lawyers need to know about those things to interface with Probation effectively?
The Future of Transportation is Here—In North Carolina
Just a few short years ago, self-driving cars seemed futuristic. Now the future is here. If you drive in the Triangle, self-driving cars will soon appear on a road near […]
Body-Camera Footage Leads to Plain Error Reversal in State v. Miller
My colleagues here have previously blogged about the impact of Rodriguez v. United States, 575 U.S. ___, 135 S. Ct. 1609 (2015), and my predecessor Alyson Grine created a handy […]
Criminal Law and Protests
Protests are breaking out all over. This weekend, protesters gathered at RDU to oppose President Trump’s travel ban. Last weekend, participants in Women’s Marches took to the streets of Washington […]