Not much has changed for cannabis law at the state level since my last post on the topic. I noted there that several defendants were seeking review before the North […]

A short-form murder indictment generally will not support a conviction for assault. That, at any rate, was the rule prior to State v. Singleton, 386 N.C. 183 (2024) (holding that […]

This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on January 7, 2026. Videos of the defendant sexually assaulting his unconscious wife were authenticated […]

Last Friday, Indonesia enacted its new penal code, replacing colonial-era laws that had governed the country for over a century. The legal reform implements a new national criminal code (KUHP) and a criminal procedures […]

For the second day in a row, I’m pleased to announce a new publication co-authored by Belal. The latest edition of the North Carolina Sentencing Handbook is available for purchase here.  Though the sentencing grids remain unchanged, there […]

I am excited to announce a new edition of Driver’s License Revocations, Restorations, and Limited Driving Privileges in North Carolina. First published in 2024 by my colleague Shea Denning, this […]

The last few years have brought about several changes to the laws surrounding pretrial release. Before many of these changes, there was a general rule that a defendant charged with […]

This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on December 17, 2025. Evidence was sufficient to establish essential elements of felony possession of […]

Additional information came to light last week in the case against Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old man accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, during a key pretrial hearing on a […]

Many law enforcement agencies have policies prohibiting officers from associating with criminals, or with felons. From time to time, an officer is disciplined or terminated for violating such a policy. […]