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State v. Mumford: A Consistent Rule for Inconsistent Verdicts

I wrote here about the court of appeals decision in State v. Mumford, __ N.C. App. ___, 688 S.E.2d 458 (2010), vacating the defendant’s convictions for felony serious injury by vehicle based on his acquittal of driving while impaired, a lesser included offense.  The state supreme court reversed the court of appeals on Friday, holding … Read more

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State v. Mumford: A New Exception Affording Relief from Inconsistent Verdicts

Jeff Welty blogged here about inconsistent verdicts.  As he explained, a defendant generally isn’t entitled to relief from inconsistent verdicts, which may result from jury irrationality, a jury’s desire to cut the defendant a break, or some other unknown reason.  The defendant is protected by the court’s review of whether substantial evidence supports the charge … Read more