NC Criminal Law
This post summarizes two recent decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States.
A state law prohibiting individuals from carrying guns onto private property without the express approval of the property owner violates the Second Amendment.
Wolford v. Lopez, __ U.S. __ (June 25, 2026) (Alito, J.). For...
A statement of charges, criminal summons, arrest warrant, citation or magistrate’s order may be amended at any time before or after final judgment as long as the amendment does not change the nature of the offense charged. G.S. 15A-922(f).
A prosecutor’s failure to sign an indictment does not invalidate the indictment. G.S. 15A-644(a)(4).
The state must give the defendant, at the beginning of jury selection, a written list of the names of all witnesses whom the state reasonably expects to call during the trial.
When a statute sets forth disjunctive or alternative ways by which an offense may be committed, a warrant or indictment should charge them conjunctively, linking the alternatives by the word “and” instead of “or”.
All criminal pleadings must name or otherwise identify the defendant. See G.S. 15A-924(a)(1).