When Can the State Use Testimony from the Probable Cause Hearing at Trial?
My colleague, Phil Dixon, blogged about the Court of Appeals’ decision in State v. Joyner, 284 N.C. App. 681 (2022), here. In Joyner, the court ruled that the State did […]
Case Summaries: N.C. Supreme Court (Dec. 15, 2023)
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the Supreme Court of North Carolina released on December 15, 2023. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a […]
Case Summaries: Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (November 15 & 21, 2023)
This post summarizes published criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during November 2023. Cases of potential interest to state practitioners are summarized monthly. […]
Case Summaries: N.C. Court of Appeals (Nov. 21, 2023)
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on November 21, 2023. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a […]
Probation Violations and the Pretrial Integrity Act
The Pretrial Integrity Act has been in effect for one month now and has generated several questions about the implications of the new provisions. Some of the most frequently asked […]
Statutory Changes Related to Juvenile Interrogation and Secure Custody Orders
This post covers recent statutory changes related to the custodial interrogation of youth who are 16 and 17 years of age and to the issuance and execution of secure custody […]
Case Summary — State v. Richardson, No. 272A14 (N.C. Sept. 1, 2023).
Presented with an appalling set of facts, the North Carolina Supreme Court unanimously upheld the defendant’s convictions for murder, kidnapping, sex offense, and felony child abuse. The majority affirmed a […]
News Roundup
I am saddened to share news of the tragic shooting that took place on the UNC’s campus Monday, which led to the death of Professor Zijie Yan. Reports of shots […]
News Roundup
On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump was indicted for a third time. Trump previously was indicted in New York state court for allegations that he paid hush-money to an adult […]
48-Hour Rule Refresher
Pretrial release is generally set by magistrates at a defendant’s initial appearance. As a special approach to setting conditions of pretrial release, the “48-hour rule,” as it is known in […]