North Carolina v. Hasson Bacote
North Carolina’s First Successful Racial Justice Act Claim in Years [...]
Criminal Law
FACE Act Under Heightened Scrutiny as President Trump Pardons Pro-Life Advocates
Since Dobbs, the number of pro-life activists being prosecuted for violations of the 18 U.S.C. § 248 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act saw a marked uptick under the Biden Administration. After a wave of pardons by President Trump, important legal questions remain unanswered as Congress seeks to overturn the FACE Act. [...]
How Long is Too Long?
Stopping a vehicle for speeding, writing a ticket, and sending that person on their way is on the “simple” side of the spectrum. Complexity arises with continued questioning, K’9’s, or asking drivers to step out of their vehicles. These additional factors suddenly create a growing issue: how long is too long for a traffic stop? [...]
Racial Disparities in Capital Punishment: How Prosecutorial Power and Jury Selection Influence Death Penalty Sentencing
Justice is supposed to be blind – administered to everyone equally without regard to race or ethnicity. Yet, justice often turns a blind eye to the racial disparities within the courtroom and prisons nationwide. [...]
Redefining Parental Responsibility: The Jennifer Crumbley Verdict and Its Implications for Mass Shooting Cases
For the first time, a parent has been charged with manslaughter after her child committed a school shooting. [...]
The Murdaugh Dynasty’s Downfall: A Tale of Scandal, Murder, and a Shocking Twist
The Murdaugh family is no stranger to scandal, but on June 7, 2021, the shocking murders of his wife, Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, and their youngest son, Paul, sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community of Hampton County. [...]
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women: An Epidemic
Countless cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women have been reported by Indigenous communities but have not made headlines. The following personal accounts come from those reports. It is April 18, 2017 and residents of a neighborhood in Lumberton, North Carolina have just discovered the naked body of Rhonda Jones stuffed in a trashcan. Rhonda was a thirty-six year old woman and member of the Lumbee Tribe. Only a few hours had passed when Christina Bennett, another member of the Lumbee [...]
The Officer that Cried “Weed.” Why Some States Won’t Legalize Marijuana.
Picture it; a car is pulled over by the police for a traffic offense—perhaps speeding or not using a turn signal. The officer says he smells marijuana and demands that the driver get out of the car so that he can proceed with his warrantless search. The officer finds marijuana, cocaine, and a firearm. What started as a simple traffic stop has now turned into a full criminal investigation. Something that would have been handled quickly in traffic court now has the potential to be a criminal [...]
Public Policy vs. The Constitution: Confronting Minor Victims of Sexual Assault
Ratified in 1791, the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution sets forth rights related to criminal prosecutions. The amendment requires a speedy and public trial as well as an impartial jury; it also encompasses the confrontation clause. The Confrontation Clause provides that “in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right…to be confronted with the witnesses against him.” The purpose of this provision is to allow defendants to question their accusers in [...]
Murder on the “Rust” Express
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
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 [...]
To Ban or Not To Ban: The Death Penalty in Limbo
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? [...]
Raise the Age 2.0: N.C. Remains the Only State in America to Prosecute Six-Year-Old Children in Juvenile Court – Advocates Say it is Time to Raise the Minimum Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction
North Carolina is the only state in the nation where the law declares a 6-year-old an eligible defendant in the juvenile justice system. North Carolina has proven it can raise the maximum, and now it is time to raise the minimum age. [...]
Mugshots & the Degradation of the Presumption of Innocence
What do Johnny Cash, Bill Gates, Al Capone, and Martin Luther King Jr. all have in common? Mugshots. All of these history-defining individuals, for one reason or another, had interactions with the law. However, despite these figures gaining notoriety in spite of their mugshots, for many individuals, this is not the case. In fact, it is quite the opposite. An Overview A mugshot is a photograph taken by a law enforcement agency upon an individual’s arrest to be used in the [...]
Insurrection at the Capitol Revives Debate Over Statute Outlawing Domestic Terrorism
Currently, there is no federal law or crime that directly addresses and outlaws “domestic terrorism.” Thus, domestic terrorism is not a chargeable criminal offense. Despite the fact that lawmakers, experts, and the media have identified the reprehensible events of January 6th as domestic terrorism, prosecutors cannot actually charge the rioters specifically with domestic terrorism. [...]