State v. Alston, 233 N.C. App. 152 (Apr. 1, 2014)

The court rejected the defendant’s argument that he received ineffective assistance of counsel when his lawyer failed to object to joinder of the defendant's charges of armed robbery and possession of a firearm by a felon. The defendant argued that the felon in possession statute was a “civil regulatory measure” that could not be joined with a criminal charge. The court held that felon in possession is a criminal offense that was properly joined for trial.