News Roundup
Yesterday, Justice Stephen Breyer officially resigned his seat on the Supreme Court of the United States after 28 years of service. Justice Breyer, universally described as a kind and humble […]
Abortion and North Carolina Criminal Law after Dobbs
I was born the year before the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). Abortion has been a constitutionally protected right very nearly my whole life, so […]
Case Summaries – Supreme Court of the United States (June 23, 2022)
This post summarizes cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States on June 23, 2022. The cases are principally criminal law adjacent, but as appropriate may be added […]
COVID and the Due Process Rights of Incarcerated Parents
Below is a post I recently published on our On the Civil Side blog that I thought would be of interest to defense attorneys. The post explores the appeal of […]
Legally Permissible Uses of Juvenile Detention
One of the many unique features of the juvenile justice system is the law related to the permissible uses of detention. Called secure custody in the Juvenile Code, placement of […]
Arson Law Revisions
The North Carolina General Assembly recently passed S.L. 2022-8 which makes various changes to the existing arson laws. The new criminal provisions go into effect on December 1, 2022 and […]
News Roundup
It is hard to find good help these days, with unemployment low and employers competing fiercely for workers. It’s well known that law enforcement agencies are having trouble recruiting sworn […]
Case Summaries – N.C. Court of Appeals (June 21, 2022)
This post summarizes published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on June 21, 2022. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free […]
Case Summaries: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (May 2022)
This post summarizes published criminal and related decisions released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during May 2022. Decisions that may be of interest to state practitioners are summarized […]
Case Summaries – Supreme Court of N.C. (June 17, 2022)
This post summarizes published criminal decisions from the Supreme Court of North Carolina released on June 17, 2022. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free […]