A few weeks back, I was walking in the park, delivering lunches, when one of the homeless women there asked a young man if he wanted a lunch. The young man said yes, and he came over and got one.…
Read MoreEvery time that a new ad featuring a person with a disability comes out, I get ready to cringe. So when I learned that Duracell had released a video ad featuring Derrick Coleman, a fullback for the Seattle Seahawks and…
Read MoreThis post was originally published on this siteCoke claimed the common law was the perfection of reason. Our Supreme Court began its recent opinion in State v. Phillips, No. 281A23 (N.C. Aug. 23, 2024), by citing Coke, albeit for a…
Read MoreThis post was originally published on this siteThe most significant criminal law story this week was the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Barrow County, Georgia. Tragically, two teachers and two students were killed, and at least nine others…
Read MoreThis post was originally published on this siteThis post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on September 3, 2024. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free and searchable…
Read MoreThis post was originally published on this siteEffective December 1, 2023, Session Law 2023-151 amended G.S. 14-56 (Breaking or entering into or breaking out of railroad cars, motor vehicles, trailers, aircrafts, boats, or other watercraft) to provide for sentencing enhancements…
Read MoreThis post was originally published on this siteShea wrote about changes to the law around the practice of entering low-level felony pleas in district court last fall, here. More and more districts have begun adopting the practice of accepting guilty…
Read MoreThis post was originally published on this siteIn national news, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment in the federal criminal case against Donald Trump after the Supreme Court granted former presidents substantial immunity. Court papers say the new indictment “reflects the…
Read MoreThis post was originally published on this siteThis post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the Supreme Court of North Carolina released on August 23, 2024. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free and searchable…
Read MoreThis post was originally published on this siteSession Law 2024-17 contains several changes to delinquency law and new penalties for soliciting a minor to commit an offense. I covered the changes related to juvenile jurisdiction and the transfer process in…
Read MoreThis post was originally published on this siteThe North Carolina Supreme Court’s opinion in State v. Singleton, No. 318PA22, __ N.C. __ (2024), brings about a transformation of North Carolina indictment law. The case “ends [a] centuries old saga” in…
Read MoreThis post was originally published on this siteVerizon Wireless is facing a lawsuit after a man claiming to be a detective with the Cary Police Department was arrested for stalking. Last year, Robert Glauner, who is a resident of New…
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