North Carolina

California and North Carolina representation in ABA House of Delegates is being reviewed

In the aftermath of California’s and North Carolina’s mandatory state bars relinquishing their seats in the ABA’s House of Delegates, the House has formed a working group to study issues surrounding state bar participation in the policymaking body.

Feb 13, 2020 11:53 AM CST

Defendant can be required to write essay on respect for judiciary and to delete negative comments, appeals court says

A judge didn’t err when he ordered a frequent Facebook poster who violated a ban on courtroom recording to write an essay on respect for the judiciary and to delete negative posts, according to the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Dec 6, 2019 9:59 AM CST

Do you have room at your table? SOLACE calls for lawyers to host those spending Thanksgiving alone

Judge Jay Zainey recently sent an email to about 20,000 members of the SOLACE program in Louisiana, asking whether they had room at their table for fellow members of the legal community who might be alone on Thanksgiving. By the time Zainey went to bed, he already had several responses.

Nov 21, 2019 7:00 AM CST

Lawyer pleads guilty to tax charge for allegedly paying personal expenses through law firm account

A lawyer in Cornelius, North Carolina, pleaded guilty Friday to one count of filing a false tax return based on allegations that he used his law firm account to pay personal expenses that included a condo mortgage and luxury cars.

Nov 12, 2019 10:51 AM CST

North Carolina congressional map drawn to benefit GOP can’t be used in 2020, state panel rules

On Monday, a panel of three state judges in North Carolina blocked the state from using its current congressional map in 2020 elections.

Oct 29, 2019 11:50 AM CDT

Police credit crime-fighting Facebook page in cold-case arrest

A North Carolina woman has been charged with a cold-case murder after the woman who runs a crime-fighting Facebook page received a tip on the location of the victim’s remains.

Oct 28, 2019 12:15 PM CDT

Pro bono inspired a survivor of domestic violence to go to law school

As a 3L, Alyssa Leader says she runs a constant mental countdown of weeks to finals, weeks to graduation, weeks to the bar exam, weeks to test results, weeks until she can say she is someone she never would have been if not for David, a lawyer.

Oct 24, 2019 6:00 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge died from fentanyl and heroin; $117M pelvic mesh settlement announced

Johnson & Johnson and subsidiary to pay $117M settlement in multistate pelvic mesh case Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Ethicon have agreed to pay nearly $117 million to settle claims over alleged deceptive marketing for transvaginal surgical mesh devices. Forty-one states and Washington, D.C., will share in the settlement.…

Oct 18, 2019 4:11 PM CDT

Man awarded $750K in alienation of affection suit; his lawyer calls it a moral victory

Kevin Howard says his lawsuit against his ex-wife’s lover wasn’t just about the money. “I believe in the sanctity of marriage,” Howard tells CNN. “Other families should see what the consequences are to not only breaking the vow to whatever religion you subscribe to, but also your legal responsibilities.” Howard,…

Oct 7, 2019 11:12 AM CDT

‘Gate money’ for released prisoners is usually chump change

Some formerly incarcerated people say it’s often not enough to meet their basic needs

Sep 11, 2019 2:49 PM CDT

New rules in this state give break from court appearances to lawyers who are new parents

Lawyers in North Carolina will be able to avoid court appearances for up to 12 weeks after the birth or adoption of a child, the state’s chief justice announced Tuesday.

Sep 11, 2019 10:06 AM CDT

‘State-by-state slog’ ahead after North Carolina rules partisan maps violate state constitution

A three-judge state court in North Carolina ruled Tuesday that state legislative maps drawn to benefit Republicans are an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander under the state constitution. The court unanimously ruled that the map violated state constitutional requirements for free elections, equal protection, and freedom of speech and assembly. The court…

Sep 5, 2019 10:42 AM CDT

Courts in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas announce closings for Hurricane Dorian

Several courts in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina already have announced closings as Hurricane Dorian approached off the coast. You can find state court closings here in Florida, here in Georgia and here in North Carolina. The South Carolina Supreme Court advises checking the State Emergency Management Division website or…

Sep 3, 2019 10:31 AM CDT

Same-sex couples aren’t afforded equal abuse protections in this state

If the woman known as M.E. had lived with her girlfriend in North Carolina, she could have gotten significant legal protection once their relationship turned abusive. She would also have been eligible for that help—a domestic violence protective order—if her ex had been a man. But because she did not…

Aug 28, 2019 1:00 PM CDT

Despite convictions in racism-tainted trials, inmates still face execution

Seven years ago, a judge ruled that prosecutors improperly excluded black jurors in the murder trial that put Marcus Robinson on death row. Now the North Carolina Supreme Court has to decide whether that evidence of racial bias—and similar findings of systemic bias in a handful of related cases—must be…

Aug 8, 2019 10:11 AM CDT