NC Criminal Law
Welcome back to the Friday News Roundup. It’s been an interesting week for criminal law news. Without further ado, here are a few of the top stories:
Raleigh considers curfew to combat teen takeovers. As WRAL explains here, Raleigh experienced two large nighttime gatherings of young people over the Independence Day...
A statement of charges may charge the same offenses as the original pleading or additional or different misdemeanor offenses. G.S. 15A-922(d).
Prosecution of the defendant for an infraction will bar a subsequent prosecution for a more serious offense arising out of the same conduct.
An initial appearance may be held before a magistrate anywhere within the state. See G.S. 7A-273(7).
With the consent of all parties, the district court may accept guilty pleas to Class H and I felonies. G.S. 7A-272(c).
Evidence of the victim’s character may be introduced in two circumstances: First, the defendant may introduce evidence of a “pertinent trait” of the victim’s character. G.S. 8C-404(a)(2). The most common example is evidence of the victim’s violent character, offered when the defendant is claiming self-defense. Second, in homicide cases, the state may offer evidence of the victim’s character trait for “peacefulness” to rebut a claim by the defense that the victim was the first aggressor.