Substitute Analyst Testimony and Smith v. Arizona
I mentioned in a recent News Roundup that the U.S. Supreme Court granted review in Smith v. Arizona. The case tees up a question that has been lingering since at […]
Court of Appeals Rules That Consent to Search Backpack, Given after Repeated Requests, Was Not Voluntary
Last month, the Court of Appeals ruled that police coerced a suspect into agreeing to let them search his backpack. Many of the traditional hallmarks of coercion, such as threatening […]
News Roundup
Most of the news I’ve gathered this week is from right here in North Carolina, but I’ll start with an interesting story from Oklahoma. The AP reports here that “A […]
New Pattern Jury Instructions Available Along with Updated Online Library
Each year the School of Government publishes new and revised pattern jury instructions for civil, criminal, and motor vehicle negligence cases. Those instructions are created and compiled by the North […]
Is Force an Element of Forcible Rape?
The answer would seem to be obvious. A person is guilty of forcible rape if the person engages in vaginal intercourse with another person by force and against the will […]
News Roundup
After more than 25 years, an arrest has been made in the killing of the rapper Tupac Shakur, as AP news reports here. “Pac” died in a drive-by shooting in […]
Case Summaries: N.C. Court of Appeals (Oct. 3, 2023)
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on October 3, 2023. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a […]
Alternative Responses to Crisis Calls in North Carolina
Law enforcement and the communities they serve want effective responses to crime and other problems. They want policing that promotes safety and trust. And they want alternative responses for behavioral […]
Pretrial Release Guide Available
The School of Government has published a new resource on initial appearances and pretrial release. Although any judicial official is authorized to preside at an initial appearance, in most cases […]
News Roundup
Law enforcement officers in Philadelphia arrested more than 50 people Tuesday night after a flash mob ransacked dozens of stores, including Foot Locker, Lululemon, Apple, and at least 18 state-run […]