Denning has written extensively about North Carolina’s motor vehicle laws, including a book on the law of impaired driving. She is a regular contributor to the North Carolina Criminal Law blog and a co-coauthor of Pulled Over: The Law of Traffic Stops and Offenses in North Carolina. She joined the School of Government in 2003. The breakdown. Nearly 60 percent of misdemeanor DWIs (19,720 to be exact) were sentenced at the lowest level of punishment: Level 5. Two percent (643) were sentenced at the highest level of punishment: Aggravated Level 1. Sixty percent of DWI sentences placed the defendant on unsupervised probation, while 33 percent placed the …This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on February 20, 2024. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free and searchable database of case summaries from 2008 to the present. The summary of In re Laliveres below was prepared by Prof. …Dec 20, 2012 · The North Carolina Supreme Court “attach[ed] no importance to the fact that the defendant had no arms” stating, “we think it may be conceded that the driving or riding without arms through a court house or a crowded street at such a rate or in such a manner as to endanger the safety of the inhabitants amounts to a breach of the peace and ... U.S. campaign finance law places limits on how much money political donors can give per election cycle; also, it is illegal for donors to skirt these limits by making additional do...Jan 18, 2017 · The rules. G.S. 15A-928 sets forth the procedures the prosecutor and superior court judge must follow “when the fact that the defendant has been previously convicted of an offense raises an offense of lower grade to one of higher grade and thereby becomes an element of the latter.”. These are the rules that govern pleading, arraignment and ... Jan 21, 2020 · Defending Death by Distribution Cases. Phil Dixon Jr. Published for NC Criminal Law on January 21, 2020. Shea blogged about the new crimes of death by distribution and aggravated death by distribution in G.S. 14-18.4, here. These crimes hit the books this past December, and 2020 will likely see the first prosecutions under the law. This post summarizes published criminal decisions from the North Carolina Supreme Court released on December 18, 2020. The summaries were prepared by Shea Denning, Chris Tyner, and Jonathan Holbrook. As always, these summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free and searchable database of case …Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol (“delta-8 THC”) is an isomer of the more (in)famous cannabinoid, delta-9 THC. The two chemicals are closely related and are distinguished only by a single chemical bond, according to Wikipedia and other sources. The compound is naturally present in small quantities in hemp and marijuana.In the United States, the criminal justice system is supposed to be one of the most fair and just in the world. There are, however, many disparities in who is treated more harshly ...February 8, 2024 by Alex Phipps. This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on February 6, 2024. These …The Court of Appeals vacated the civil judgment. As the court said in State v. Friend, 257 N.C. App. 516 (2018)—and in over two dozen subsequent appellate cases in the past two years—defendants are entitled to notice and an opportunity to be heard regarding the amount of an attorney fee award. Before entering a judgment for an …Possession of fentanyl in amounts short of a trafficking amount may also be a felony. Where there are more than 100 doses, it could be charged as felony possession under the exception in G.S. 90-95 (d) (2) noted above. Given the strength of the substance and the apparently tiny dosage size, an amount well short of four …Jan 21, 2020 · Defending Death by Distribution Cases. Phil Dixon Jr. Published for NC Criminal Law on January 21, 2020. Shea blogged about the new crimes of death by distribution and aggravated death by distribution in G.S. 14-18.4, here. These crimes hit the books this past December, and 2020 will likely see the first prosecutions under the law. Defending Death by Distribution Cases. Shea blogged about the new crimes of death by distribution and aggravated death by distribution in G.S. 14-18.4, here. These crimes hit the books this past December, and 2020 will likely see the first prosecutions under the law. The Health In Justice Action Lab at Northeastern University School of … As the largest university-based local government training, advisory, and research organization in the United States, the School of Government serves more than 12,000 public officials each year. The School provides content and resources for a wide array of local government and judicial officials in North Carolina. Dec 20, 2012 · The North Carolina Supreme Court “attach[ed] no importance to the fact that the defendant had no arms” stating, “we think it may be conceded that the driving or riding without arms through a court house or a crowded street at such a rate or in such a manner as to endanger the safety of the inhabitants amounts to a breach of the peace and ... The Court of Appeals vacated the civil judgment. As the court said in State v. Friend, 257 N.C. App. 516 (2018)—and in over two dozen subsequent appellate cases in the past two years—defendants are entitled to notice and an opportunity to be heard regarding the amount of an attorney fee award. Before entering a judgment for an … Reference and research services are available to all residents of North Carolina, and additional assistance is available to state and local government personnel, both elected and appointed. Blogs. Below you will find an index of our blogs. Use the filters to make your search more specific. Welcome to the North Carolina Criminal Law blog. This blog serves as a forum for the discussion of North Carolina criminal law and procedure. It is administered by Jeff Welty, a faculty member at the School of Government at UNC. ... SOG Staff (76) SOG Apps (1) Daniel Spiegel (3) Timothy Heinle (5) Tom Thornburg (6) Jeffrey Welty …The first type of arrest of judgment is one that vacates a judgment in response to a “fatal flaw on the face of the record”—usually a defect in the indictment. See, e.g., State v. Harris, 219 N.C. App. 590 (2012). The effect of that sort of arrest of judgment is to vacate a conviction. See State v.Case Summaries: N.C. Supreme Court (Oct. 20, 2023) October 25, 2023 by Alex Phipps. This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the Supreme Court of North Carolina released on October 20, 2023. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free and searchable database of case summaries from … Criminal Law Blog. Launched in January 2009, this new blog by faculty member Jeff Welty includes postings about current criminal law issues, answers to recurrent questions that Welty receives from the field, and interesting theories about criminal law that he has stumbled upon. Months later, at his armed robbery trial, Hendricksen moved to dismiss the charges on the grounds that he had already been punished for the crime, citing his guilty plea in Harnett County. The superior court judge in the Johnston County case rejected his argument. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to 70 to 96 months …The “single taking” rule prevents a defendant from being charged or convicted multiple times for a single continuous act or transaction. State v. Adams, 331 N.C. 317, 333 (1992). In larceny cases, the single taking rule works to punish a defendant for only one count of larceny regardless of how many items were taken …Business Records: Posts, Chats, and Texts. March 9, 2021 by Jonathan Holbrook. Several prior posts on this blog have addressed authenticating and admitting …As the largest university-based local government training, advisory, and research organization in the United States, the School of Government serves more than 12,000 public officials each year. The School provides content and resources for a wide array of local government and judicial officials in North …If you want to shoot him a welcome email or have a legal question for him, please feel free to reach out. His email is [email protected], and his phone number is 919-966-4377. It is my pleasure to announce that Daniel “Danny” Spiegel has joined the Courts Group faculty here at the School of Government as an … Denning has written extensively about North Carolina’s motor vehicle laws, including a book on the law of impaired driving. She is a regular contributor to the North Carolina Criminal Law blog and a co-coauthor of Pulled Over: The Law of Traffic Stops and Offenses in North Carolina. She joined the School of Government in 2003. Published for NC Criminal Law on March 30, 2015. I’ve had several questions about the role of drug dogs at motor vehicle checkpoints. The details are below, but a quick summary of the law is as follows: (1) Officers can’t lawfully run drug dogs around every vehicle stopped at a checkpoint. (2) Officers can lawfully run drug dogs …This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the Supreme Court of North Carolina released on November 4, 2022. This summary will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free and searchable database of case summaries from 2008 to the present.. Defendant preserved his challenge to …In the United States, the criminal justice system is supposed to be one of the most fair and just in the world. There are, however, many disparities in who is treated more harshly ...Nonautomatic Sex Offender Registration. James M. Markham. Published for NC Criminal Law on August 13, 2020. For the most part, if a defendant is convicted of a crime included in the list of reportable offenses, the defendant must register. But some crimes require registration only if the judge orders it.Seelye, 815 F.2d 48, 51 (8th Cir. 1987) (stop was justified where the officer “confirmed that [the defendant’s] appearance closely matched the description” of the suspect). I often get asked about pretextual stops. The rule is that if a stop is supported by reasonable suspicion, the officer’s subjective motivation is irrelevant, Whren v.Hardee, 723 F.3d 488 (4th Cir. 2013) (summarizing, in a federal habeas case, that “expert testimony on eyewitness identifications is not automatically admitted; when allowed, its admissibility is generally at the court’s discretion, both under federal and North Carolina law”); State v. Cotton, 99 N.C. App. 615 (1990) (the defendant in a ...The right to act in self-defense depended primarily on the authority of court decisions. The General Assembly’s adoption in 2011 of three defensive force statutes—G.S. 14-51.2, G.S. 14-51.3, and G.S. 14-51.4—changed that. An understanding of the law of self-defense in North Carolina now must begin with the statutory law of self-defense.Seelye, 815 F.2d 48, 51 (8th Cir. 1987) (stop was justified where the officer “confirmed that [the defendant’s] appearance closely matched the description” of the suspect). I often get asked about pretextual stops. The rule is that if a stop is supported by reasonable suspicion, the officer’s subjective motivation is irrelevant, Whren v.DWI Update: May 2020 Edition. May 18, 2020 by Shea Denning. My colleagues and I usually spend the waning weeks of May slogging through months of appellate opinions, determining which cases merit discussion at upcoming summer conferences. This year, of course, there are no live summer conferences. Yet we are still slogging.February 8, 2024 by Alex Phipps. This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on February 6, 2024. These …Published for NC Criminal Law on June 14, 2023. The General Assembly last amended our satellite-based monitoring (“SBM”) laws in 2021, substantially reworking who qualifies for SBM, the process of petitioning for termination of SBM, and the potential length of SBM (among other changes). If …SORNA Tier Chart. James M. Markham. Published for NC Criminal Law on June 15, 2017. Over two years ago I said I would someday try to sort North Carolina’s reportable sex crimes into the tiers set out in the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Today’s the day. The chart is available here.March 7, 2016 by Jeff Welty. The court of appeals recently decided State v. Ford, a case about the authentication of social media evidence. This is the first North Carolina appellate case to give careful consideration to the issue, and the opinion sets a relatively low bar for authentication. Because this type of evidence is increasingly ...The new law, which will be codified as N.C.G.S. § 160A-499.6, allows cities to employ and allow civilian personnel to investigate crashes involving only property damage. Among other things, investigators must be trained at the North Carolina Justice Academy and then with a law enforcement officer for at least four weeks.Salkil, 10 F.4th 897 (8 th Cir. 2021) (“ [P]olice obtained consent to search within the time reasonably required to complete the mission of the traffic stop. Once police lawfully secured consent to search, any delay occasioned by the search did not constitute an unlawful extension of the seizure.”). Conclusion.Consolidation of Sentences. Published for NC Criminal Law on October 13, 2015. North Carolina sentencing law allows multiple convictions to be consolidated for sentencing. Consolidation of felonies is governed by G.S. 15A-1340.15 (b); G.S. 15A-1340.22 (b) covers misdemeanors. The rule is the same for both types of crimes: when you …Published for NC Criminal Law on June 14, 2023. The General Assembly last amended our satellite-based monitoring (“SBM”) laws in 2021, substantially reworking who qualifies for SBM, the process of petitioning for termination of SBM, and the potential length of SBM (among other changes). If …A child custody order entered by a court in a jurisdiction other than North Carolina is not required to be registered before it can be modified or enforced in North …Felony murder in North Carolina. The felony murder rule in North Carolina is codified in G.S. 14-17 (a). That statute defines first-degree murder to include a homicide committed in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of any of the following felonies: a felony committed or attempted with the use of a deadly …August 1, 2022 by Jeff Welty. Over the past several months, I’ve been dropping by clerks’ offices to look at search warrants. I’ve made it to six offices, including offices in eastern, central, and western North Carolina, and in urban and rural areas. I’ve reviewed and made notes on 279 warrants and have at least skimmed hundreds more.Aug 1, 2022 · August 1, 2022 by Jeff Welty. Over the past several months, I’ve been dropping by clerks’ offices to look at search warrants. I’ve made it to six offices, including offices in eastern, central, and western North Carolina, and in urban and rural areas. I’ve reviewed and made notes on 279 warrants and have at least skimmed hundreds more. Do you know how to become a criminal profiler? Find out how to become a criminal profiler in this article from HowStuffWorks. Advertisement A criminal profiler is a person who stud...May 21, 2019 · To quote from the memo: Hemp and marijuana look the same and have the same odor, both burned and unburned. This makes it impossible for law enforcement to use the appearance of marijuana to develop probable cause for an arrest, seizure of an item, or probable cause for a search warrant. In order for law enforcement to seize and analyze an item ... The North Carolina Judicial College was founded in 2005 to expand the education and training the School of Government has provided for judicial branch officials since the 1930s. Through the Judicial College, the School now offers more courses of interest to mid-and later-career officials and provides that training …The connection to federal law stems from G.S. 14-208.12A(a1)(2), which says that a court may grant a petition for removal only if “[t]he requested relief complies with the federal Jacob Wetterling Act, as amended, and any other federal standards applicable to the termination of a registration requirement or required to be met as a condition for the …Published for NC Criminal Law on May 11, 2021. In the wake of the April 21 killing of Andrew Brown, Jr., in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, I have fielded several media inquiries about our body cam law and the judge’s ruling limiting access to the footage about the shooting. With the help of the School of Government’s public records expert ...The North Carolina Court of Appeals on August 2, 2016, ruled in State v. Pigford that although an officer had probable cause to search a vehicle, he did not have probable cause to search a vehicle occupant based on the marijuana odor.S.L. 2023-151, § 2 (a) . Section 15A-1340.16F provides that if a person is convicted of two or more of the same financial crimes – embezzlement, false pretenses, or elder exploitation – the crimes may be “aggregated for sentencing” if: (1) the crimes were committed against more than one victim or in more than one county, and (2) the ...The leading criminal law treatise indicates that “all but a few” states have speedy trial statutes. 4 Wayne R. LaFave et al., Criminal Procedure, s. 18.3(c) (2d ed. 1999). My anecdotal sense is that most of those statutes set time limits far shorter than one year, i.e., that most of the statutes are more protective of a …Jun 19, 2023 · Published for NC Criminal Law on June 19, 2023. Earlier this month, the Third Circuit, sitting en banc, found the federal felon-in-possession statute unconstitutional as applied. The decision was based on the new interpretive approach announced in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, 597 U.S. __, 142 S. Ct. 2111 (2022). The North Carolina Judicial College was founded in 2005 to expand the education and training the School of Government has provided for judicial branch officials since the 1930s. Through the Judicial College, the School now offers more courses of interest to mid-and later-career officials and provides that training …Criminal Negligence. Published for NC Criminal Law on November 18, 2010. Criminal negligence (sometimes called culpable negligence) means recklessness or carelessness that shows a thoughtless disregard of consequences or a heedless indifference to the safety and rights of others. State v. Jones, 353 N.C. …A national, empirical study of defenses found that the defense of entrapment arose in just 0.08% of cases, usually “to little avail.” Stephen G. Valdes, Frequency and Success: An Empirical Study of Criminal Law Defenses, Federal Constitutional Evidentiary Claims, and Plea Negotiations, 153 U. Penn. L. Rev. 1709, 1716 (2005).But every now …Authenticating Photographs Obtained from Social Media Platforms. Jeffrey B. Welty. Published for NC Criminal Law on May 01, 2023. In my last post, I wrote about how a party might authenticate a Facebook direct message or other text-based electronic communication. That post focused on how the proponent of the evidence might establish …Mar 11, 2021 · The modern rule applies to businesses, organizations, and associations “of every kind,” and the covered records include any report, memorandum, or “data compilation, in any form.”. G.S. 8C-803 (6), Official Commentary. As explained more fully in the prior posts linked above, the exception generally applies as long as the records were ... . If a person writes a check without sufficient funds in an associA blog by the faculty and staff of the UNC Schoo May 31, 2018 · In 2012, the General Assembly enacted a final statutory limit on PJCs in G.S. 15A-1331.2. Under that law, the court shall not dispose of any Class B1–E felony by ordering a PJC that exceeds 12 months. Any PJC ordered in those cases must include as a condition that the State shall pray judgment within some specific time not to exceed 12 months. Jan 18, 2017 · The rules. G.S. 15A-928 sets Oct 26, 2017 · The court must apply 20 days of jail credit to Sentence A (10/1–10/21) and 10 days of jail credit to Sentence B (10/11–10/21). Let me change the facts of Example 2 a little. Suppose for some reason Sentence B (an active sentence to 100 days) was imposed 10/21/2017, but Sentence A did not get imposed until 10/31/2017. 2021 Changes to North Carolina’s Expunction Laws. John Rubin. Published for NC Criminal Law on December 08, 2021. As in recent sessions, the General Assembly … DWI Update: May 2020 Edition. Shea Riggsbee Denni...
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