State v. Fields, ___ N.C. App. ___, 827 S.E.2d 120 (Apr. 16, 2019)

In an assault inflicting serious bodily injury case involving the defendant’s assault on a transgender woman, A.R., the evidence was sufficient to establish that serious bodily injury occurred. A.R.’s injury required stitches, pain medication, time off from work, and modified duties once she resumed work. Her pain lasted for as much as six months, and her doctor described it as “significantly painful.” This evidence tends to show a “permanent or protracted condition that causes extreme pain.” Moreover, the assault left A.R. with a significant, jagged scar, which would support a finding of “serious permanent disfigurement.”