Smith's Criminal Case Compendium
Table of Contents
Criminal Procedure
Indictment & Pleading Issues
Arrest, Search, and Investigation
Criminal Offenses
Drug Offenses
State v. Rollins, 220 N.C. App. 443 (May. 15, 2012)
No plain error occurred in a second-degree murder case stemming from a vehicle accident after a police chase when officers testified that the defendant committed the offense of felony speeding to elude arrest and other crimes. The officer’s testimony was a shorthand statement of facts necessary to explain why the police chase ensued. Specifically, the officers testified that they were not allowed to give chase unless they observed felonious conduct. Following State v. Anthony, 354 N.C. 372, 408 (2001), the court held that the officers were not interpreting the law for the jury, but rather were testifying regarding their observations in order to explain why they pursued the defendant in a high-speed chase.