A UNC School of Government Blog
I thought that if I delayed this post long enough, I would be able to include something about the John Edwards verdict. But there still isn’t one, so I can only speculate that the jury is attempting to set a world record for longest deliberation. Either that, or they’ve got a heck of a Monopoly … Read more
Well, this is embarrassing. “Orange-Chatham District Attorney Jim Woodall has asked the State Bureau of Investigation to . . . probe . . . UNC-Chapel Hill’s African and Afro-American Studies program, following findings of academic fraud by a university review, according to the News and Observer. The former chair of the department was allegedly paid … Read more
The lead story from last week’s news roundup is back again: Chapel Hill’s ban on using cell phones while driving. It appears from this News and Observer story that Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson has now granted a preliminary injunction against the ordinance, extending the temporary restraining order he issued previously. A hearing on the … Read more
It is still safe – legally speaking – to drive around Chapel Hill while talking on a cell phone. Recall that the town has banned cell phone usage while driving, subject to certain exceptions. The ban was scheduled to go into effect June 1, but the owner of a towing company sued the town alleging … Read more
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