Resources

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Results: 8504
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Case Summaries: N.C. Court of Appeals (June 6, 2023)

This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on June 6, 2023. These summaries will be added to Smith’s Criminal Case Compendium, a free and searchable database of case summaries from 2008 to the present.
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The State of Post-Petition Evidence in A/N/D Adjudicatory Hearings

An adjudicatory hearing in an abuse, neglect, or dependency acti
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New Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence

Last month, the North Carolina General Assembly passed S.L. 2023-14 (S 20) which largely covers changes to abortion laws. Within this bill is also a newly defined “misdemeanor crime of domestic violence,” which takes effect for offenses committed on or after December 1, 2023.
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County Legal Authority to Fund Non-Mandated Social Services Programs

State law requires North Carolina counties to administer and provide a number of social services and public assistance programs described in Chapter 108A of the North Carolina General Statutes, including (among others) Work First, Food and Nutrition Services, Medicaid, child protective services, ado
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Does an Officer Who Receives a Giglio Letter Have a Right to a Name Clearing Hearing?

In my most recent post, I noted that a law enforcement officer who is fired will sometimes have a right to a “name clearing hearing” at which the officer may supply evidence contradicting negative information about the officer’s honesty or integrity that the
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The Primacy of Social Capital for Community Resilience

Hurricanes. Floods. Wildfires. Tornados. Earthquakes. Droughts. Blizzards. Ice storms. Infectious disease outbreaks. Pandemics.

Industrial accidents. Chemical spills. Structural collapse. Transportation accidents. Grid failure. Water contamination.

Large-scale layoffs. Factory closures. Recession. Hyperinflation. Civil unrest. Mob violence. Mass shootings. Terrorism.
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News Roundup

The General Assembly is working hard to fashion a budget for the upcoming biennium, but in the meantime, legislators are conducting other business. Of interest to this audience, H347, a bill that would legalize gambling on sports, appears to be very close to becoming law.
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Recent Batson Rulings from the North Carolina Supreme Court

Last April, the North Carolina Supreme Court decided two significant cases involving claims that prosecutors impermissibly exercised peremptory challenges against prospective black jurors based on their race:  State v. Hobbs, ___ N.C.
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What @sog_ced is reading online: May 2023

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Local Government Budgeting for Specific Expenditures, Projects, or Contracts

It’s budget season, which triggers perennial issues related to the budgeting process and substance of the annual budget ordinance. Some of these are addressed in past posts. This year I’ve had several inquiries about how specific a budget appropriation can be. Examples include the following:
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News Roundup

There have been some bumps in the road in the rollout of eCourts, the new electronic platform the court system is using in a handful of pilot counties for filing and case management.
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General Assembly Loosens Requirements for Teen Licensure

Twenty five years ago, North Carolina adopted graduated licensing for young drivers, a system founded on the principle that “[s]afe driving requires instruction in driving and experience.”