A UNC School of Government Blog
There was lots of news this week about judges new and old, so let’s start with that, then move on to the rest: Jeff Hunt, until now the elected district attorney for district 29B (Henderson, Polke, and Transylvania counties), has been named a special superior court judge. Assistant district attorney Doug Pearson will be the … Read more
Certainly the most shocking story of the week comes from Cleveland, where Ariel Castro has been charged with abducting three women, sexually abusing them, and holding them captive for ten years. CNN has the basics here. One important legal question is whether Castro could be eligible for the death penalty, based on allegations that he … Read more
This week, the General Assembly ratified SB 117, or Lily’s Law, which adds the following provision to the murder statute, G.S. 14-17: “For the purposes of this section, it shall constitute murder where a child is born alive but dies as a result of injuries inflicted prior to the child being born alive.” The bill … Read more
Potentially capital federal charges have been filed against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in connection with the Boston marathon bombings. The filing of charges led to an initial appearance – in the hospital – before a federal magistrate judge, who advised Tsarnaev of his Miranda rights in the course of the proceeding. (Investigators had not previously read him … Read more
Boston is in chaos. One suspect in the marathon bombings has been killed and the other is on the run. Reports suggest that the two are brothers, of Chechen origin. Other issues seem small by comparison, but nevertheless: 1. Sex offender residence bill passes. SB 23, now S.L. 2013-28, has passed and takes effect immediately. … Read more
I’ve been busy with New Prosecutors’ School this week. As always, it has been humbling and inspiring. But the world didn’t stop turning. Here are some of the week’s top stories: The General Assembly takes on juvenile law. The News and Observer reports here that the legislature is considering a bill that would require judges … Read more
There’s been way more than the usual amount of interesting criminal law news this week, so let’s dive right in: The General Assembly has been busy. The Senate passed a bill that would, among other things, repeal the Racial Justice Act; it now moves to the House. Meanwhile, the House passed a bill that the … Read more
Since tomorrow’s a holiday for many, including me, this week’s news roundup comes a day early. The lead story is the apparent crumbling of the video sweepstakes industry. Major software vendor International Internet Technologies has announced that it will immediately cease doing business in North Carolina, so that the company’s owner can turn his full … Read more
This blog passed two million hits this week. It has far surpassed the modest expectations I had when it began. Thanks to everyone who is part of the blog community for contributing to its success. In other news: Bill to allow non-lawyer judges. As the News and Observer notes here, the General Assembly is considering … Read more
The lead story of the week – besides the beginning of the ACC tournament, naturally – is the introduction of S 306, a bill designed to break the logjam in the execution of death sentences by, among other things, addressing concerns about medical personnel participating in executions; allowing flexibility regarding the procedures for lethal injection; and … Read more