A UNC School of Government Blog
This has been a busy but inspiring week for me, as we have had over 40 new prosecutors here at the School of Government for training. It is always a treat for me to work with aspiring public servants, and this group has impressed me as particularly serious and committed. But the world has not … Read more
The trial of former Senator John Edwards has begun in federal court in Greensboro. In the federal cases I tried, jury selection took about as long as it takes me to read the newspaper in the morning, but in the Edwards trial, it’s scheduled to take a week or more. Meanwhile, a number of articles … Read more
In Chapel Hill, the start of the John Edwards trial is big news. The News and Observer covers the beginning of jury selection here, and has an interesting story on Edwards’ increasingly isolated existence here. The only story that may be making a bigger splash is Jessie Smith’s contest, It’s a Crime What I Did … Read more
Since tomorrow’s a holiday, I’m rounding up the news today. Far and away my favorite story of the week involves the near-arrest of Batman. Holy caped crusader! The initial story, here, notes that a man dressed as Batman and driving a black Lamborghini was stopped for speeding on I-270 near Silver Spring, Maryland. The follow-up … Read more
The most prominent legal story this week has nothing to do with criminal law. The Supreme Court spent three days hearing oral argument on the constitutionality of President Obama’s health care reform law. Two things unrelated to the merits of the case intrigue me. First, lots of pundits think that at least a portion of … Read more
The biggest legal news of the week may be the Supreme Court’s recognition of a right to the effective assistance of counsel during plea bargaining in Lafler v. Cooper and Missouri v. Frye. I previewed Lafler here, and plan to do a detailed analysis of the cases next week. For now, suffice it to say … Read more
There must be some sort of planetary alignment taking place today: Duke, UNC, and NC State all play in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, the new iPad goes on sale, and best of all, it is time for another news roundup. 1. This week’s headlines center on Forsyth County, because the state supreme court just … Read more
The New Hanover County courthouse was closed yesterday to deal with “bedbugs . . . discovered by court personnel,” the News and Observer reports here. Yuck. In other news: 1. The General Statues posted on the General Assembly’s website are now current though January 5, 2012, so they’re essentially completely up to date. They’re certainly … Read more
There’s a lot going on this week! The removal hearing in Durham concerning District Attorney Tracey Cline has ended, with Superior Court Judge Robert Hobgood promising a decision Friday morning. The dispute over consent searches in Fayetteville has taken a new turn, with a judge entering a temporary restraining order requiring the city to lift … Read more
I can’t stop writing about Fayetteville! The city council’s 120-day moratorium on consent searches by the police during traffic stops came under fire this week from several angles. First, the Attorney General’s office issued an advisory letter concluding, in essence, that a municipal government can’t take away a power granted by a state statute — … Read more