NC Criminal Law

Belal Elrahal on Wednesday, July 1st, 2026

For implied consent offenses, pretrial motions to suppress evidence and/or dismiss the case must be made pretrial, according to and in accordance with G.S. 20-38.6. Broadly speaking, this requires the district court judge to preliminarily indicate how they would rule and then provides an avenue for superior court review of their preliminary indication. The...

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The superior court has general jurisdiction over all felonies, as well as any misdemeanors which are lesser-included offenses of the felony, joined with the felony, or initiated by grand jury presentment. G.S. 7A-271(a).

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.

An acquittal under the Double Jeopardy Clause includes a dismissal of a charge for insufficient evidence or an appellate court’s reversal of a conviction for insufficient evidence.

A misdemeanor statement of charges is a criminal pleading prepared by the prosecutor, charging a misdemeanor. A statement of charges is a type of pleading, but is not a form of process, and cannot be used to initiate a prosecution and compel the defendant to appear. See G.S. 15A-922(b)(1).

A defendant who is in custody has a Fifth Amendment right to counsel during an interrogation.