news

Three more inmates had their death sentences vacated this week under the Racial Justice Act. Cumberland County Superior Court Judge Greg Weeks, following the reasoning he used previously to void the death sentence for another inmate, ruled that racial discrimination by the State during jury selection required that the defendants be resentenced to life without … Read more

Hot sauce, simulated sex, and echoes of the notorious Abu Ghraib prison are allegedly involved in one of this week’s most disturbing stories. Yahoo! News reports here that six inmates from Sampson Correctional Institution claim that prison staff “forced them to perform numerous humiliating acts for the entertainment of guards, including stripping nude and pretending … Read more

A new justice is coming to the North Carolina Supreme Court. Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson is stepping down, and Governor Perdue says that she will appoint a successor. She plans to bypass the judicial nominating commission that she recently created to take politics out of judicial appointments. The News and Observer has more here and here. … Read more

Last night, I attended the annual awards dinner for the North Carolina Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section. It was fantastic and inspiring, as it is every year. Congratulations to long-time Cumberland County assistant district attorney Cal Colyer, the first person other than an elected district attorney to win the Peter Gilchrist award, and to Charlotte … Read more

Everyone knows the headline results from Tuesday: President Obama was re-elected; Pat McCrory will be the next governor; Republicans control the General Assembly; and Justice Newby narrowly retained his seat. But there are lots of interesting details in the State Board of Election’s preliminary results, here. For example: Every district attorney who ran this year … Read more

Congratulations to my colleague John Rubin, who was just named the Albert Coates Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government. It’s a well-deserved permanent chaired professorship for John, who has worked tirelessly for many years to improve the quality of indigent defense in North Carolina. In developments outside the ivory tower: The Supreme Court heard … Read more

In Italy, six scientists have been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to six years in prison for failing to predict an earthquake. Seriously. In other news: The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers has just launched this website, which offers information on the restoration of rights after a criminal conviction in all 50 states and … Read more

In Durham, a man who shot at police during a traffic stop, and who was also served with warrants for first-degree sexual offense and other crimes, was given a total bail of $7.8 million. Durham’s chief magistrate told the News and Observer that it is not the highest bail in the county’s history. Readers, what’s … Read more

Fall is here, meaning cooler weather, leaves changing colors, and of course, elections. The North Carolina Bar Association has a new website that provides the results of performance surveys regarding incumbent trial court judges and their challengers. There are also elections for several seats on the court of appeals, and one on the state supreme … Read more