The big news at this time of year is usually basketball-related, and Duke's fantastic win last night to earn a Final Four berth certainly deserves mention. But because not everyone shares my enthusiasm for the Blue Devils, I'll try to restrain myself and focus mainly on criminal law matters. 1. The News and Observer recently reprinted a New York Times story on how various states are coping with "sexting," a phenomenon about which I've blogged before. As far as I know, the General Assembly hasn't looked at this issue yet, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it do so, given the imperfect fit between our child pornography laws and sexting. 2. The historic Chatham County courthouse was destroyed by fire last Thursday. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Though no longer used for most court proceedings, the building housed many court offices and was the architectural heart of quaint downtown Pittsboro. The cause of the fire hasn't been determined, but there's been no immediate indication of foul play. 3. Law enforcement officers who have probable cause to search a place, but who have reason to worry that someone will destroy the evidence therein before a search warrant can be obtained, have the authority to temporarily seize the location pending the warrant application. See generally Robert L. Farb, Arrest, Search and Investigation in North Carolina 88 (3rd ed. 2003). Recently, the Ninth Circuit decided a case that helps answer the question, how long can the temporary seizure last? In United States v. [...]
Faculty Coordinators
