NC Criminal Law
This post summarizes criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during May of 2026. Cases of potential interest to state practitioners are summarized monthly. Previous summaries of Fourth Circuit are available here.
District court correctly found that the Sixth Amendment right to a jury...
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 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).
The core purpose of the Rules of Evidence is to achieve fairness, efficiency, and justice by ensuring that only relevant and reliable evidence is considered by the finder of fact. G.S. 8C-102(a).
The superior court has jurisdiction to accept a guilty plea to a misdemeanor tendered in lieu of a felony charge.
In felony cases, a defendant is entitled to inspect the complete files of all law enforcement agencies, investigatory agencies, and prosecutors' offices involved in the investigation of the crimes committed or the prosecution of the defendant. See G.S. 15A-903(a).