Constitutional protection against double jeopardy is understood to extend no further than the Fifth Amendment requires. Two recent cases from the Court of Appeals, however, seem to find greater double jeopardy protection under state law. In State v. Broadway, No. COA25-1159 (N.C. Ct. App. July 1, 2026), the court ruled a defendant could not be sentenced for two different assaults...
NC Criminal Law
If a search warrant validly describes the premises to be searched, a car located on the premises may be searched even though the warrant contains no description of the car. State v. Courtright, 60 N.C. App. 247, 249 (1983).
Prosecution of the defendant for an infraction will bar a subsequent prosecution for a more serious offense arising out of the same conduct.
The key question for double jeopardy analysis is whether each offense requires proof of an element that is not contained in the other — if not, they are the same offense and double jeopardy bars a successive prosecution.
A prosecutor’s failure to sign an indictment does not invalidate the indictment. G.S. 15A-644(a)(4).
If the defendant (or any defendant in a multi-defendant case) puts on evidence, then state has the right to the first and last closing argument.
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