NC Criminal Law
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on November 4, 2026.
Evidence of intoxication or a verbal argument, standing alone, did not entitle the defendant to a second-degree murder instruction where the evidence was otherwise sufficient to show premeditation and deliberation.
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A prosecutor’s failure to sign an indictment does not invalidate the indictment. G.S. 15A-644(a)(4).
A defendant has a Sixth Amendment right to counsel during interrogation by an officer or an informant about a pending charge after adversarial judicial proceedings for that charge have begun.
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.
A trial judge may permit any party to introduce additional evidence at any time before verdict. See G.S. 15A-1226(b).
The rules of evidence do not apply at sentencing. G.S. 8C-1101(b)(3).