Case Summaries: N.C. Court of Appeals (June 4, 2024)

This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on June 4, 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. Order of specific performance for plea agreement was error where defendant did not show detrimental reliance on the agreement.   State v. Ditty, COA23-141, ___ N.C. App. ___ (June 4, 2024). In this Cumberland County case, both the State and defendant filed petitions for writ of certiorari after the trial court issued an order to enforce a plea agreement between the parties. The Court of Appeals held that the trial court had jurisdiction to enter the order, but reversed the order’s requirement for specific performance because defendant did not show detrimental reliance on the agreement prior to the State’s withdrawal, remanding for further proceedings. In March of 2016, defendant was charged with child abuse and first-degree murder in connection with the death of her daughter. Defendant negotiated a plea agreement based upon the argument that her romantic partner caused the injuries to the child, ultimately reaching an agreement to plead guilty to accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. The State requested defendant submit to a polygraph and not to move for bond reduction or seek a probable cause hearing during its investigation, which defendant did. Defendant also submitted to a second interview with investigators. After all this, the State provided a plea agreement for accessory after the fact [...]