North Carolina Criminal Law

Child pornography (also known as child sexual abuse material, “CSAM”) is a category of speech that is not protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, so long as the images depict actual minors engaged in sexual activity. State laws criminalizing the creation, distribution, and possession of child pornography have been upheld in North Carolina on this b...

This post summarizes the published opinions in criminal cases issued by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on May 6, 2026.

The trial court properly revoked the defendant’s probation for absconding despite erroneously checking box 4 on the probation revocation judgment.

Just over a week ago, former FBI Director James Comey was indicted in the Eastern District of North Carolina. This press release from the United States Department of Justice explains that Comey faces t...

More than thirty years before the United States Supreme Court in Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963), determined that the Sixth Amendment guarantee of appointed counsel for indigent defendants charged with felonies applied to state court prosecutions...

During any initial appearance, magistrates must consider a host of issues. Starting with determining whether to begin the initial appearance, finding probable cause, determining whether they may set pretrial release conditions, setting conditions when permitted, and conducting a citizenship inquiry when required, magistrates must work through multiple steps before setting a p...