Stealth Constitutional Amendment Could Bring Big Changes
This fall, North Carolina voters will decide whether to amend the state constitution. The proposed amendment would allow, for the first time, bench trials for felonies in superior court. Neither the...
View ArticleChanges to Jury Waiver Procedures
This session, the General Assembly amended G.S. 15A-1201, which sets out the procedures for waiving a jury trial in superior court. S.L. 2015-289. This post summarizes the changes. Principal changes....
View ArticleHow the Proposed Constitutional Amendment Would Change Judicial Appointments
This November, North Carolina voters will be asked to vote for or against a “Constitutional amendment to implement a nonpartisan merit-based system that relies on professional qualifications instead of...
View ArticleMarsy’s Law Is on the Ballot; Voters Will Decide Whether it Goes on the Books
There will be six constitutional amendments on the ballot this November. One of them, S.L. 2018-110 (H 551), expands the constitutional rights of crime victims. Voters will be asked to vote for or...
View ArticleWhen Victims’ and Defendants’ Rights Collide in Court, Who Wins?
While I was finishing up my post last Wednesday on Senate Bill 682 (the bill implementing the 2018 constitutional amendments expanding victims’ rights), the Governor was signing that bill into law. In...
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