NC Criminal Law

Daniel Spiegel on Friday, July 17th, 2026

Local prosecutors in Minneapolis say they have received evidence from federal authorities pertaining to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by ICE agents in January. For months since the killings, evidence was withheld from local law enforcement, preventing state investigators from conducting a thorough review.  Hennepin County...

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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”.

Unlike “character,” which refers to a person’s general disposition or personality trait, a “habit” is a person’s regular response to a repeated, specific situation. Evidence of a person’s habit may be introduced to show that the person’s conduct was in conformity with that habit on a particular occasion. G.S. 8C-406.

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).

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.

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.