Crime

Murder on the “Rust” Express

March 29, 2022

As facts continue to come to light about Halyna Hutchins’s death, there is one thing that is known, Hutchins was fatally shot with a loaded prop gun while on the set of the film, “Rust.”  As the wielder of the weapon, Alec Baldwin has been implicated in her death.  The police have begun to investigate the event, and the world is wondering what the legal impacts of the incident will be on Baldwin, the producers, and the film industry itself. “In persons grafted in a serious trust, [...]

The Night the Lights Went Out in SC

March 10, 2022

The name “Murdaugh” has held a position of honor in the South Carolina Lowcountry for over three generations.  In addition to a private law practice, at least one Murdaugh served as the 14th Circuit Solicitor for over 80 years.  The 14th Circuit Solicitor’s Office sits between two of the South’s most important cultural centers, Charleston and Savannah—the Office is part of a region steeped in cultural mysticism.  The Solicitor’s Office has long been home to a member of the [...]

COVID-19 Policies and Precautions in The United States Prison System

March 4, 2022

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the United States prison system has been dealing with mass outbreaks of COVID-19.  As of January 28, 2022, out of the total number of inmates tested for COVID-19, approximately 539,406 (7.6%) inmates tested positive.[1]  As of February 24, 2022, 192,722 prison staff across the United States have tested positive for COVID-19.  This article considers potential reasons for these outbreaks by examining inmate and staff disease and vaccination statistics, as [...]

Juvenile Status Offenders: Let Them Have Their Day [Out of] Court

February 15, 2022

 Status Offenders: Guilty of Youthful Offenses There are two types of juveniles represented within North Carolina’s juvenile justice system: status offenders, otherwise known as simply “undisciplined” juveniles and delinquent juveniles.  Delinquent juveniles typically draw the attention of the public eye, as they are the minors that commit “adult” level offenses, such as robbery, vehicle theft, or assault with a deadly weapon.  Status offenders, however, commit offenses that are [...]

To Ban or Not To Ban: The Death Penalty in Limbo

September 14, 2021

The idea of capital punishment and its legality have enveloped the news and media for centuries.  But where did the death penalty come from, how has it developed over time, and how much longer will it be around? [...]

Tracking the Recent Decisions in North Carolina’s Satellite-Based Monitoring Jurisprudence

May 4, 2020

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated . . . .   The black device exclaimed “low battery” in a robotic voice drawing curious glances from passerby. This was his cue. The ankle monitor called the shots; he either had to leave or find a nearby electrical outlet for the device’s daily two-hour charging. Letting it die was not an option as it would lose signal—a major violation, [...]

Bergdahl: messenger, deserter, or traitor?

October 25, 2017

In 2015, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was traded by the United States for five Taliban members who were detained in Guantanamo Bay. After Bergdahl returned to the U.S., the circumstances of his capture—the fact he walked off his post—sparked controversy. Bergdahl now pleads guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. [...]
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