North Carolina Lawyers Weekly

A developer who wants to pave over a pet cemetery in New Hanover County has one foot in the grave, legally speaking, after losing a significant battle ahead of an upcoming trial. Last year, Ricky Coates raised eyebrows and triggered ...

Tagged with: pet cemetery

Something strange is happening at dollar stores in North Carolina. Earlier this month, state health authorities closed a Dollar Tree in Wilson because it was infested with rats, according to a report from the local Fox affiliate. “Two signs were ...

Tagged with: rats

Much to the defendant’s chagrin but in a relatively straightforward application of the law, the state Court of Appeals held recently in North Carolina v. Rico Barnes that being handcuffed on your cousin’s porch while probation agents search the home ...

Tagged with: miranda

It’s always nice to know you can count on your siblings in a time of need. But apparently federal prosecutors in Charlotte think “sibling assistance” doesn’t include stealing your brother’s passport so you can leave the country, especially not while ...

Tagged with: passport

There are many attributes that would aid a candidate for a seat on the state’s Court of Appeals. A distinguished legal career, eloquent public speaking, and an enthusiasm for stumping for voters would all presumably come in handy. But having ...

Tagged with: Phil Berger

Luddites, rejoice. The North Carolina Court of Appeals has made it official: Putting pen to paper is still a valid means of making a written objection. The court’s ruling in favor of low-tech communication came in Eisenberg v. Hammond, a ...

Tagged with: writing

  For an overnight staycation, my wife and I recently lodged in a Charlotte hotel that was ritzy in name alone. When we arrived, caseless pillows sat on the floor of our room. The decor was dated. Water backed up ...

Tagged with: Prison

  When all else fails and you absolutely, positively must get the attention of your employer overnight, make a social media post about putting a baseball bat upside your supervisor’s head. That’s how it played out for Margaret Whichard, an ...

Tagged with: Hostile work environment threats unemployment benefits

Let’s face it. Some trials just aren’t that interesting. But if you’ve been accused of robbing a grocery store, you’d probably want the judge to stay awake for the proceedings. Alas, that wasn’t the case during a recent trial in ...

Tagged with: retrial

Talk about your mixed days. On June 21, the North Carolina Court of Appeals vacated two armed robbery convictions after finding that assistant district attorney Colleen Janssen had improperly withheld evidence that the state’s star witness was actually a major ...

Tagged with: Witness protection