Smith's Criminal Case Compendium

This compendium includes significant criminal cases by the U.S. Supreme Court & N.C. appellate courts, Nov. 2008 – Present. Selected 4th Circuit cases also are included.

Jessica Smith prepared case summaries Nov. 2008-June 4, 2019; later summaries are prepared by other School staff.

Instructions

Navigate using the table of contents to the left or by using the search box below. Use quotations for an exact phrase search. A search for multiple terms without quotations functions as an “or” search. Not sure where to start? The 5 minute video tutorial offers a guided tour of main features – Launch Tutorial (opens in new tab).

State v. Maready, 362 N.C. 614 (Dec. 12, 2008)

Evidence > Prior Acts--404(b) Evidence > Evidence Admissible > Defendant’s Motor Vehicle Violations and Related Conduct

The defendant was convicted of second-degree murder involving impaired driving. No plain error occurred when the trial judge admitted, under Rule 404(b), the defendant’s prior traffic-related convictions that were more than sixteen years old. The court rejected the implication that it previously...

State v. Taylor, COA23-423, ___ N.C. App. ___ (Apr. 2, 2024)

Criminal Procedure > Appellate Issues > Failure to Raise Issue/Object at Trial & Related Issues

Evidence > Crawford Issues & Confrontation Clause > Substitute Analyst & Related Cases

Evidence > Prior Acts--404(b) Evidence > Evidence Admissible > Defendant’s Motor Vehicle Violations and Related Conduct

In this Columbus County case, defendant appealed her conviction for second-degree murder based on driving while impaired (DWI) and reckless driving, arguing error in (1) denying her motion to suppress the results of a blood sample, (2) admitting a lab report prepared by an expert who did not...

State v. Taylor, COA22-788, ___ N.C. App. ___ (July 5, 2023)

Evidence > Prior Acts--404(b) Evidence > Evidence Admissible > Defendant’s Motor Vehicle Violations and Related Conduct

In this Vance County case, defendant appealed his convictions for second-degree murder, felony hit and run, DWI, reckless driving, failure to reduce speed, and failure to comply with license restrictions, arguing improperly admitted expert testimony and evidence of a prior DWI charge, a fatally...

State v. Schmieder, ___ N.C. App. ___, 827 S.E.2d 322 (Apr. 16, 2019)

Criminal Offenses > Homicide > Second-Degree Murder > Prior Driving Convictions

Evidence > Prior Acts--404(b) Evidence > Evidence Admissible > Defendant’s Motor Vehicle Violations and Related Conduct

In a case involving a conviction for second-degree murder following a fatal motor vehicle accident, the trial court did not abuse its discretion by admitting evidence of the defendant’s past driving offenses. The State’s evidence showed that on 23 November 2016, the defendant was stopped for an...

State v. Grooms, 230 N.C. App. 56 (Oct. 1, 2013)

Evidence > Prior Acts--404(b) Evidence > Evidence Admissible > Defendant’s Motor Vehicle Violations and Related Conduct

In a second-degree murder case arising after the defendant drove while impaired and hit and killed two bicyclists, the trial court did not err by admitting Rule 404(b) evidence. Specifically, Thelma Shumaker, a woman defendant dated, testified regarding an incident where the defendant drove...

State v. Rollins, 220 N.C. App. 443 (May. 15, 2012)

Evidence > Prior Acts--404(b) Evidence > Evidence Admissible > Defendant’s Motor Vehicle Violations and Related Conduct

(1) The trial court did not err by admitting evidence that the defendant received two citations for driving without a license, including one only three days before the crash at issue. The fact that the defendant drove after having been repeatedly informed that driving without a license was...

Show Table of Contents