NC Criminal Law
This post summarizes two recent decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States.
A state law prohibiting individuals from carrying guns onto private property without the express approval of the property owner violates the Second Amendment.
Wolford v. Lopez, __ U.S. __ (June 25, 2026) (Alito, J.). For...
All criminal pleadings must name or otherwise identify the defendant. See G.S. 15A-924(a)(1).
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.
Each separate offense charged against a defendant must be pled in a separate pleading, or in a separate count within a single pleading. See G.S. 15A-924(a)(2).
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).
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.