Legislative and Policy
Highlighting state and national legislative news, focusing on some of the most important policy issues of the day.
For many defendants, a verdict of “guilty” signals the end of their legal battle. But when the prosecutor commits errors, the relevant law has changed, or the defendant had ineffective assistance of counsel, the defendant may get a second chance through post-conviction relief. Defendants
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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
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“Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight.” -Stephen Chbosky For the past 25 years, Wilkes County Schools have participated in a program called “Battle of the Books.” Battle of the Books encourages
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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
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In September of 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill that would allow California’s collegiate athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness beginning in 2023. The bill was passed in direct opposition to the NCAA regulations that prohibit ‘amateur’ athletes from
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The common law says very little about our rights to dispose of or profit from our bodies. If body parts are given value, then that puts a price on human life. The failure to address this issue has led to the promulgation of just that issue, regardless of whether society is ready to confront it.
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As COVID-19 began to sweep the nation in the Spring of 2020, many state governments began taking measures to protect the nation’s health care workforce during such unprecedented times. Among these measures were actions taken by state officials from both the executive and legislative branches that
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The North Carolina General Statutes are often ignored in the discussion of North Carolina greatness, but the statutes showcase hidden symbols that give deeper insight into our state’s history.
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The school-to-prison pipeline is a serious issue in the educational system and American society. Restorative Justice efforts can help phase out the school-to-prison pipeline for many students of color. However, it must be implemented comprehensively across schools for it to be successful, and teachers must be supported throughout the process.
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North Carolina should abandon its adherence to the recognition of alienation of affection as a valid cause of action. It is not only because of its antiquated and frankly sexist origins but also because it likely does not serve to protect marriages adequately.
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While the debate regarding the legalization of marijuana has occupied the forefront of the national stage, an argument to decriminalize another class of prohibited substances has also been building steam: hallucinogens. Currently, hallucinogens like psilocybin, colloquially known as “magic
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The Supreme Court has had another opportunity to address the tension between the religion clauses: the Establishment Clause, which prohibits the government from establishing a religion, and the Free Exercise Clause, which requires the government to accommodate individuals to freely follow their
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Amid government efforts to quell correspondence of prisoners, prisoners seek to enforce their fundamental First Amendment free speech rights, compelling federal courts to discharge their duty to protect them and create a clear standard by which the government should be bound in preserving this Constitutional covenant.
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North Carolina’s Medicaid program provides healthcare for 2.2 million low-income seniors, disabled persons, children, and their families. The state Medicaid program costs over $14 billion annually, with the federal government contributing $2 for every $1 paid by the state. Currently, the
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One of the most hotly politicized issues in the United States this year is whether the President has the authority to direct the construction of a wall on the southern border between the United States and Mexico. Passionate arguments arose from all sides of the issue, and even made its way
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