A UNC School of Government Blog
1. Bloggers often feel like Rodney Dangerfield: we get no respect. But over the past week, I’ve learned that under the latest revision of the Bluebook, the citation manual for lawyers, “blog posts are cited much the same as law journals or other periodicals,” instead of being treated like emails and other informal correspondence. (Hat … Read more
It’s been quite a while since I assembled a news roundup, and as usual, there are more interesting, relevant news items than I can reasonably fit into a post. I’ll try to limit myself to the most noteworthy. 1. Timothy Hennis, acquitted of murder in a civilian trial 20 years ago, was convicted by a … Read more
The big news at this time of year is usually basketball-related, and Duke’s fantastic win last night to earn a Final Four berth certainly deserves mention. But because not everyone shares my enthusiasm for the Blue Devils, I’ll try to restrain myself and focus mainly on criminal law matters. 1. The News and Observer recently … Read more
Several interesting stories have cropped up over the past week. 1. In Moore County, a woman who was convicted in district court of DWI and speeding was acquitted on trial de novo in Superior Court. The unusual aspect of the case is that she admitted both offenses, but asserted the defense of necessity. According to … Read more
Call me sentimental, but I kinda miss the days when ACC tournament Friday meant the working world nearly grinding to a halt. These days, it hardly skips a beat. The press of interesting criminal law news certainly hasn’t slowed down. Some recent stories of interest include: 1. The News and Observer reports that two former … Read more
I am dumbfounded by the rapid pace of criminal law news over the past week or so. Some news items that may be of interest: 1. Unless you’ve sworn off TV, radio, the internet, and all communication with your fellow humans, you probably know that a three-judge panel in Wake County exonerated Greg Taylor this … Read more
Although others may be distracted by tonight’s Duke-UNC basketball game, we at the School of Government remain laser-focused on emerging criminal law issues. And several interesting issues have been in the news lately: 1. The News and Observer reports today on the Wake County hearing concerning Greg Taylor. Taylor was convicted of murder, but the … Read more
Because a snowstorm is supposed to trap many of us in our homes this weekend, I thought I’d highlight some news items that may be of interest. 1. Judges Wynn and Diaz have moved one step closer to seats on the Fourth Circuit. 2. There have been developments in several high-profile North Carolina criminal cases: … Read more
The top story in the papers today is the continuing fallout from the Bowden case, some background on which is available here. The News and Observer reports that Superior Court Judge Ripley Rand ordered the release of two inmates pursuant to Bowden, but that the court of appeals has stayed the order pending further review. … Read more
There’s been quite a bit of criminal law news this past week: 1. The controversy over the Bowden case and its interpretation of life sentences continues. Governor Perdue has a new legal argument for not releasing the inmates who appear to be affected by the ruling, and the inmates are planning to test that argument … Read more