News Roundup

Over the past week the Associated Press has published reports describing instances of physical and emotional abuse at the Word of Faith Fellowship church in Spindale.  According to the AP, congregants, including children, “were regularly punched, smacked, choked, slammed to the floor or thrown through walls in a violent form of deliverance meant to ‘purify’ sinners by beating out devils.”  Former congregants have alleged that two members of the church who are assistant district attorneys in Prosecutorial District 25 helped cover up the abuse.  Keep reading for more news. Raise the Age Bill.  Regular blog readers know that the Criminal Committee of the North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice produced a report recommending that North Carolina raise the age of juvenile court jurisdiction.  As WRAL reports, that work has culminated in the introduction of House Bill 280 – the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act.  The bill raises the age of juvenile jurisdiction from 16 to 18, subject to some exceptions, and has bipartisan support.  Jessie has a quick YouTube video here explaining the basis for the Committee’s recommendations. Sex Offender Recidivism.  The New York Times has an interesting article this week that suggests that the United States Supreme Court has overstated sex offenders’ risk of recidivism, and that the overstatement has since permeated judicial opinions and legislative policy.  According to the article, some lower courts and legal commentators have noticed the issue and are criticizing the Court. Juvenile Interrogations.  Last week Bob had a post discussing the North Carolina Supreme Court’s opinion in [...]