News Roundup

Published for NC Criminal Law on May 20, 2016.

The New York Times and Right on Crime are each reporting that South Carolina and Louisiana appear poised to raise the upper age of juvenile court jurisdiction in those states from 16- to 17-years-old.  The change would mean that most 17-year-old offenders would participate in juvenile court rather than adult court, and is in line with a bipartisan national trend towards raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction.  The article from the Times notes that North Carolina is one of only two states where 16-year-old offenders are automatically treated as adults in the criminal justice system.  The Criminal Investigation & Adjudication Committee of the N.C. Commission on the Administration of Law & Justice is working on a raise the age proposal for North Carolina. Jessica Smith, Reporter to the Committee, presented a draft report on the issue to the Committee last Friday. Information about the Committee’s work is available here.  Keep reading for more news.   Lethal Injection Drugs Harder to Acquire.  The New York Times reports that Pfizer recently announced that it has “imposed sweeping controls on the distribution of its products to ensure that none are used in lethal injections.”  According to the report, Pfizer’s announcement means that all F.D.A.-approved manufacturers have now blocked the sale of their drugs for use in executions.  The increasing scarcity of lethal injection drugs has become a significant hurdle to carrying out executions. Police Chief Pushes Treatment Rather Than Arrest.  The News and Observer reports that the chief of police in Nashville, N.C. [...]