Supreme Court Slip Opinions
Signup For Email Notification
Court of Appeals Opinions
Headnote Index for 2022
Case Summaries/Headnotes
Mandate: 5 January 2023
Zip File of Published Opinions
Headnote Index: 16 December 2022
Case Title / Description
Whether the trial court properly rejected the General Assembly's Remedial Congressional Plan and accepted the General Assembly's Remedial House Plan and Remedial Senate Plan.
Whether the trial court's order finding that a law imposing a photo identification requirement for voters violates the equal protection guarantee of Art. I section 19 of the North Carolina Constitution was supported by evidence in the record and properly applied governing legal standards.
Whether the trial court abused its discretion in denying, without explanation, the city's Motion to Modify Restrictions.
Declaratory judgment action by insured to determine extent to which various insurers are responsible for defense costs and indemnification for hundreds of product-liability claims based on the insurance policy provisions. Coverage under the policies is triggered when the claimant is exposed to the defective product, allocation of costs and damages should be pro rata among multiple insurers, and vertical exhaustion applies to coverage under excess policies.
Whether the facts alleged in plaintiff's amended complaint were sufficient to establish standing to challenge the City's removal of a Confederate monument from privately owned property located in downtown Winston-Salem.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred by concluding that the trial court complied with the procedure mandated by the legislature under N.C.G.S. 15A-1201(d)(1) for the trial court's consent to defendant's waiver of his right to a jury trial.
Whether an individual who lacks a legal relationship with the deceased employee can file a claim for death benefits under N.C.G.S. 97-39.
Whether the trial court possessed jurisdiction to revoke a defendant's probation after the defendant's term of probation had expired.
Whether respondent-parent's counsel was properly allowed to withdraw when, under the totality of the circumstances, the record reflected no notice to respondent-parent that his counsel could withdraw based upon his failure to appear at permanency planning hearings.
Whether North Carolina's Real Property Marketable Title Act exempts all restrictive covenants pertaining to a general or uniform scheme of development that restricts property to residential use.
Whether defendant's actions were sufficiently egregious to permit the trial court to determine that defendant had waived or forfeited her constitutional right to counsel.
Whether the trial court properly verified that a juvenile's permanent custodial placement (1) understood the legal significance of the child's placement within the home and (2) possessed the appropriate resources to serve as a permanent placement. Whether the trial court properly eliminated reunification as a permanent plan.
Whether the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support defendant's conviction for the second of two counts of first-degree kidnapping given that the indictment alleged that defendant had confined, restrained, and removed the victim for the purpose of facilitating the commission of a first-degree rape.
Whether the trial judge violated respondent's due process right to an impartial tribunal in an involuntary commitment proceeding by calling a witness and eliciting testimony to support committing respondent when counsel for the State did not appear.
Whether the record evidence and the trial court's findings of fact support its decision that respondent should have been involuntarily committed for additional inpatient mental health treatment.
Whether the trial court violated respondent's due process right to an impartial tribunal in an involuntary commitment proceeding when the State did not appear and the trial court elicited evidence to support committing respondent.
Whether the trial court violated respondent's due process right to an impartial tribunal in an involuntary commitment proceeding when the State did not appear and the trial court elicited evidence to support committing respondent.
Whether the trial court violated respondent's due process right to an impartial tribunal in an involuntary commitment proceeding when the State did not appear and the trial court elicited evidence to support committing respondent.
Whether the trial court violated respondent's confrontation right by incorporating the report of a non-testifying physician into its findings of fact and whether the trial court's findings were sufficient to support its involuntary commitment order.
Whether findings of fact by the trial court were required when no party specifically requested them.
Whether the trial court abused its discretion in declining to reduce defendant's sentence on drug trafficking charges as permitted by N.C.G.S. 90-95(h)(5).
Whether the Supreme Court of the United States' decision in McLeod v. J.E. Dilworth Co., 322 U.S. 327 (1944) prevents the assessment of North Carolina sales tax on purchases from a Wisconsin-based printing company for materials mailed into North Carolina to customers or their designees.
Whether a deceased employee's prior filing of a workers' compensation claim is sufficient to invoke the Industrial Commission's jurisdiction over a dependent's subsequent claim for death benefits under N.C.G.S. 97-24.
Whether sufficient evidence was presented to support an inference of defendant's intent to deceive.
Whether the admission of testimony describing the alleged victim's account as 'rock solid' constituted plain error.
Whether plaintiffs Cedarbrook Residential Center and Fred Leonard stated valid claims for negligence on the part of defendant North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services based upon the manner in which it inspected and took regulatory action against plaintiffs' adult care facility, whether any such claim is barred by sovereign immunity, and whether the public duty doctrine is available to defendant as an affirmative defense.
Whether the trial court committed prejudicial error by declining defendant's request to issue a jury instruction on involuntary manslaughter.
IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE LISTED OPINIONS, THE COURT CONSIDERED 239 OTHER MATTERS. THE OTHER MATTERS MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, NOTICES OF APPEALS BASED UPON CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTIONS, PETITIONS FOR DISCRETIONARY REVIEW, PETITIONS FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI IN DEATH CASES, DEATH STAYS, PETITIONS FOR WRITS OF CERTIORARI IN OTHER CRIMINAL AND CIVIL CASES, PETITIONS FOR WRITS OF SUPERSEDEAS, MOTIONS FOR TEMPORARY STAYS, PETITIONS FOR WRITS OF MANDAMUS, PETITIONS FOR WRITS OF HABEAS CORPUS, PETITIONS FOR WRIT OF MANDAMUS, MOTIONS FOR APPROPRIATE RELIEF, AND DIRECT APPEALS FROM DECISIONS OF THE JUDICIAL STANDARDS COMMISSION AND THE UTILITIES COMMISSION. THE COURT ALSO CONSIDERS MOTIONS FOR EXTENSIONS OF TIME AND MOTIONS TO AMEND ON A DAILY BASIS. SUCH "ROUTINE" MOTIONS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PETITION LIST PUBLISHED BY THE COURT EACH MONTH.
Mandate: 28 November 2022
Zip File of Published Opinions
Headnote Index: 4 November 2022
Case Title / Description
Whether a criminal defendant may compel a trial court or prosecuting authority to calendar and dispose of a criminal matter which has been dismissed with leave pursuant to statute when the dismissal-with-leave status affects the defendant's ability to exercise his driving privilege.
Whether a state-run Alabama university can open an office in North Carolina, recruit students for its on-line programs, and subsequently enjoy sovereign immunity when a North Carolina employee alleges and sues the university for sexual harassment.
Whether defendant forfeited his right to counsel by egregious misconduct.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred by remanding the case to the trial court to make factual findings and conclusions of law in support of the trial court's order granting a motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted pursuant to N.C. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6).
Whether the superior court abused its discretion by denying defendant's petition for writ of certiorari.
Whether the trial court erred in admitting and considering witness reports of abuse, adjudicating a juvenile's dependency, and eliminating reunification efforts.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred by reversing defendant's conviction of felony obstruction of justice for insufficient evidence.
Whether defendant violated provisions of the Consumer Economic Protection Act of 2009.
Whether the trial court abused its discretion in denying plaintiffs' motion for class certification under Rule 23 of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure.
Whether a condominium formed prior to the enactment of the North Carolina Condominium Act in 1985 has the power of sale for foreclosure pursuant to section 3-116 of that Act for nonpayment of an assessment that occurred after 1 October 1986.
Whether the trial court erred in denying defendant's request for a jury instruction on justification as a defense to the charge of possession of a firearm by a felon.
Whether defendant properly preserved his challenge to the trial court's failure to instruct the jury concerning self-defense for purposes of appellate review; whether the trial court erred by rejecting defendant's request for an instruction concerning self-defense.
Whether, under extraordinary circumstances, the trial court properly ordered certain state actors to transfer available state funds to remedy an ongoing constitutional violation.
Whether the Due Process Clause and North Carolina Law permit a court to establish personal jurisdiction over an out-of-state corporate defendant by imputing to it the conduct, debts, and liabilities of its predecessor company.
Mandate: 8 September 2022
Zip File of Published Opinions
Headnote Index: 19 August 2022
Case Title / Description
Whether a juvenile defendant received ineffective assistance of counsel during a resentencing hearing because counsel did not ask the court to run all of the defendant's sentences concurrently.
Whether a General Assembly comprised of legislators elected pursuant to legislative districts that had been determined to be unconstitutionally racially gerrymandered possessed the authority to initiate the process for amending the North Carolina Constitution.
Whether the trial court deprived defendant of his right to confront witnesses against him at defendant's probation revocation hearing.
Whether advanced practice registered nurses owe a statutory, professional duty of care to patients in the context of the planning of, collaboration on, and selection of a patient's treatment.
Revocable trust; appellate jurisdiction, trial court's subject matter jurisdiction, and the trustee's duties and powers concerning trust litigation.
Whether the doctrine of governmental immunity shields a municipality from claims alleging that it fraudulently entered into contracts for fire protection services and for the acquisition of land used to provide such services; whether the doctrine of legislative immunity shields a mayor from a claim alleging that he fraudulently induced the town council to terminate contracts entered into for the provision of fire protection services.
Whether 'capacity use' fees charged to residential property developers for the purpose of expanding and improving the county's water and sewage system as a precondition for the county's concurrence in a developer's application to the Department of Environmental Quality for a required water and sewer permit constitute monetary exactions subject to review under the 'unconstitutional conditions' doctrine.
Whether 'capacity use' fees charged to residential property developers for the purpose of expanding and improving the county's water and sewage system as a precondition for the county's concurrence in a developer's application to the Department of Environmental Quality for a required water and sewer permit constitute monetary exactions subject to review under the 'unconstitutional conditions' doctrine.
Affirming a business court order and opinion based on its proper application of the law of attorney-client privilege to communications with an outside law firm made in the course of investigation of alleged violations of company's sexual harassment policy.
Whether a motion to dismiss for failure to comply with Rule 9(j) should be assessed based on what the plaintiff reasonably believed at the time the Rule 9(j) certification was filed. Whether the Court of Appeals utilized the correct standard of review in examining whether certain evidence was properly admitted under Rule 702.
Whether the trial court erred in denying defendant's motion for a transcript of a prior trial and motion to continue.
Whether the trial court erred in terminating respondent's parental rights for neglect and failure to show reasonable progress in correcting the conditions which led to removal under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1) and (2).
Whether the trial court could entertain any of the claims brought by the former pastor of a church who alleged he was improperly terminated by the church's Board of Directors, or whether doing so required the court to become impermissibly entangled with ecclesiastical matters in violation of the First Amendment.
Mandate: 4 August 2022
Zip File of Published Opinions
Headnote Index: 15 July 2022
Case Title / Description
Appeal from an order terminating respondent's parental rights; whether the trial court erred by entering findings of fact and conclusions of law as a substitute judge despite not hearing the evidence.
Termination of parental rights; whether the trial court erred by denying respondent-father's motion to continue; whether the trial court properly concluded respondents' parental rights were subject to termination under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1).
Whether the trial court erred in ceasing reunification efforts; whether the trial court made the required findings under N.C.G.S. 7B-906.2(d) to eliminate reunification from the permanent plan.
Appeal from an order terminating respondent-mother's parental rights under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1)-(2) and respondent-father's parental rights under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1)-(3), (5), and (7) (2021); whether the trial court erred in determining that there was a likelihood of repetition of neglect if the children were returned to respondent-mother's care; whether the trial court abused its discretion in determining it was in the children's best interests that respondent-parents' parental rights be terminated.
Appeal from an order terminating respondent-father's parental rights; whether the evidence supports the court's findings of fact and conclusions of law that grounds existed to terminate respondent-father's parental rights pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(3).
Appeal from orders terminating respondent-mother's and respondent-father's parental rights under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1)-(3), (6), and (7); whether the trial court erred by not appointing respondent-mother a guardian ad litem; whether the trial court's findings of fact support its adjudication of grounds to terminate respondent-father's parental rights under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(7); whether the trial court abused its discretion by determining it was in K.D.M.J.'s best interests to terminate respondents' parental rights.
Appeal from an order terminating respondents' parental rights; whether the evidence supports the trial court's findings of fact and conclusions of law that grounds existed to terminate respondents' parental rights for failure to pay a reasonable portion of the cost of the care provided to the juveniles pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(3); whether the trial court abused its discretion in terminating respondents' parental rights.
Termination of parental rights; lack of jurisdictional findings under N.C.G.S. 7B-1101; judicial notice of documents in the case file; adjudication of neglect under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1); sufficiency of adjudicatory findings; likelihood of future neglect; cumulative error.
Termination of parental rights for neglect pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1); whether the record evidence and the trial court's findings supported the trial court's conclusion that there was likelihood of future neglect; whether the trial court abused its discretion in determining that termination would be in the juvenile's best interests.
Termination of parental rights; whether the trial court erred by denying respondent's motion to continue.
Dismissal of petition to terminate parental rights for failure to prove that the parent's parental rights were subject to termination based upon abandonment pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(7).
Mandate: 7 July 2022
Zip File of Published Opinions
Headnote Index: 17 June 2022
Case Title / Description
Petition for writ of certiorari; whether the Court of Appeals is constrained by N.C. R. App. P. 21 in exercising its discretion to allow or deny the writ.
Whether the Court of Appeals properly affirmed the trial court's partial denial of defendant's motion for summary judgment as to the claims against him in his individual capacity, finding genuine issues of material fact exist concerning whether defendant acted with malice when arresting plaintiff, thereby overcoming the presumption of public official immunity that would otherwise bar such claims against defendant.
Standing to file a private termination of parental rights petition; abandonment as a ground to support termination; disposition.
Whether imposition of two consecutive sentences of life with parole constituted de facto life without parole in violation of the state or federal constitutions as applied to juvenile offender found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder who trial court determined to be not incorrigible.
Whether the decision of the North Carolina Utilities Commission to authorize the amortization of the costs of remediating coal ash waste to rates over a ten-year period while denying the Company the ability to earn a return on the unamortized balance of those costs was arbitrary and capricious.
Termination of parental rights; jurisdiction; denial of motion to continue; adjudication of neglect pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1); and ineffective assistance of counsel.
Whether the trial court's findings of fact in its order denying defendant's motion to suppress were supported by competent evidence; whether the seizure and subsequent search of defendant was constitutional.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred by concluding that the trial court erred by denying defendant's motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict and rejecting defendant's requested jury instruction.
Whether a contract in which a buyer offers to purchase real property constitutes an evidence of indebtedness for purposes of N.C.G.S. 6-21.2 so as to entitle the prevailing party in an action to recover an earnest money deposit to an award of reasonable attorney's fees.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred in affirming the trial court's order affirming the Treasurer's declaratory ruling, which concluded that N.C.G.S. 116B-78(d) prohibits property finders from depositing checks into trust accounts for their clients.
Whether imposition of two consecutive sentences which together make a juvenile defendant eligible for parole after forty-five years in prison constituted de facto life without parole in violation of the state or federal constitutions as applied to a juvenile offender found guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree rape and who the trial court determined was neither incorrigible nor irredeemable.
Termination of parental rights; collateral attack of an initial custody determination prohibited on appeal of an order terminating parental rights; motion to terminate parental rights must provide sufficient notice of the alleged grounds; insufficient evidence and findings of fact to support termination of respondent-father's parental rights.
Personal jurisdiction; whether a nonresident defendant's contract has a substantial connection with North Carolina.
Appeal from an order terminating parental rights for neglect pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1); whether the record supports the trial court's findings of fact; whether the trial court's findings of fact support its determination that the juvenile had been neglected in the past and that the likelihood of repetition of future neglect was high.
Termination of parental rights; whether termination order was properly entered pursuant to Rules 52 and 63 of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred in interpreting provisions of N.C.G.S. 22B-20 and affirming the trial court's grant of summary judgment on that basis.
Termination of parental rights; denial of petition for failure to prove ground for termination under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a); sufficiency of findings of fact and conclusions of law under N.C.G.S. 7B-1109(e), -1110(c)
Appeal of an interlocutory order of a business court judge pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7A-27(a)(3).
Whether the trial court properly denied defendant's motion to dismiss for insufficiency of the evidence.
Mandate: 26 May 2022
Zip File of Published Opinions
Headnote Index: 6 May 2022
Case Title / Description
On discretionary review pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7A-31 seeking review of the sufficiency of defendant's indictment.
Whether, under common law agency tenets, a principal in a joint real estate development venture is imputed with the knowledge of a co-principal's intent to defraud creditors by way of an insider conveyance of real estate property that is the subject of a lawsuit filed by the co-principal's creditor.
On a motion to dismiss for a Sixth Amendment speedy trial violation, the State may not elicit privileged testimony from a criminal defendant's former attorney to justify the delay in the case. A criminal defendant can prove prejudice for purposes of his Sixth Amendment speedy trial claim under Barker v. Wingo by demonstrating actual or presumptive prejudice.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred in applying a de novo standard of review in reviewing findings of the Industrial Commission under the timely-filing requirement of N.C.G.S. 97-24 and reversing the Commission's dismissal of plaintiff's claim on that basis.
Whether the trial court had a sufficient factual basis to enter judgment on multiple assault sentences from defendant's guilty plea.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred in finding no error in the trial court's denial of defendant's motion to dismiss and failure to instruct the jury on the statutory definition of 'registrant' pursuant to N.C.G.S. 90-87(25).
Whether the trial court considered matters outside the pleading and thus converted a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss to a Rule 56 motion for summary judgment.
Whether the trial court's order denying defendant's motion to suppress was insufficient to evaluate the constitutionality of the checking station.
Whether the trial court committed prejudicial error by admitting certain testimony from an investigating police officer.
Appeal from order terminating respondent's parental rights; termination of respondent's parental rights pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1); neglect.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred by holding that respondent-father failed to preserve his constitutional argument.
Whether the trial court violated respondent-father's constitutional rights when it denied his request for a continuance, preventing him from appearing at a hearing on a petition for termination of his parental rights because the federal prison where respondent-father was incarcerated was under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Termination of parental rights; adjudication of ground for termination based on neglect under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1).
Termination of parental rights pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1); whether the evidence and findings supported the conclusion that there was a likelihood of repetition of neglect.
Termination of parental rights; whether the trial court abused its discretion in denying respondent-mother's motion to continue the termination hearing.
Appeal from an order terminating respondent's parental rights; whether evidence supports the trial court's dispositional findings of fact; whether the trial court abused its discretion in concluding it was in the child's best interests to terminate respondent's parental rights.
Whether the trial court's factual findings supported its legal conclusion that respondent-mother had acted inconsistently with her constitutionally protected status as a parent by ceding custody of her minor children to their paternal grandmother and whether the trial court appropriately applied the 'best interests of the child' standard in awarding guardianship to the paternal grandmother.
Termination of parental rights; adjudication of ground for termination of willful abandonment pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(7).
Mandate: 7 April 2022
Zip File of Published Opinions
Headnote Index: 18 March 2022
Case Title / Description
Termination of parental rights; service of a summons upon a nonresident respondent-parent.
Termination of parental rights; whether the trial court abused its discretion in concluding that termination of parental rights was in the juvenile's best interests.
Appeal from order terminating respondent's parental rights; whether the trial court erred by terminating respondent's parental rights pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1), (2), and (5).
Termination of parental rights; whether the evidence supports the trial court's findings of fact; whether the trial court properly concluded that respondent's parental rights were subject to termination under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(2).
Termination of parental rights; standard of proof.
Whether the trial court's findings of fact, when supported by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence, were sufficient to support the trial court's adjudication that grounds existed to terminate the parental rights of respondent.
Termination of parental rights; whether the trial court erred in adjudicating the existence of neglect as grounds for termination of respondent-mother's parental rights; no-merit appeal by respondent-father.
Termination of parental rights; best interests determination; sufficiency of the evidence; abuse of discretion.
Termination of parental rights; whether the trial court erred in adjudicating the existence of neglect and willful failure to make reasonable progress in correcting the conditions that led to the juvenile's removal under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1) and N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(2).
Termination of parental rights; whether the trial court erred in adjudicating the existence of neglect, such that there was a probability that neglect would recur if the juvenile was returned to respondent-father's care, and willful failure to correct the conditions that led to the juvenile's removal under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1) and N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(2).
Appeal from order terminating respondent-father's parental rights; whether the trial court abused its discretion by concluding that termination of parental rights was in the children's best interests.
Whether the trial court abused its discretion when it concluded termination was in the juvenile's best interests.
Whether the trial court erred by determining that there was a substantial likelihood of repetition of neglect if the juvenile was returned to respondent's care.
Termination of parental rights; adjudication of ground for termination based on neglect under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1).
Termination of parental rights; whether the trial court erred by determining that there was a showing of past neglect and a probability of a repetition of neglect pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1) and whether the trial court erred by determining that termination was in the child's best interests.
Mandate: 31 March 2022
Zip File of Published Opinions
Headnote Index: 11 March 2022
Case Title / Description
Whether the Court of Appeals erred by affirming the trial court's order modifying plaintiff's child support obligation; whether the Court of Appeals erred by affirming the trial court's order denying plaintiff's posttrial motions.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred in reversing the trial court's denial of defendant's motion to dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction.
Whether the trial court had jurisdiction over plaintiff's complaint; whether plaintiff's constitutional argument was preserved for appeal; whether joinder of Legislature was necessary.
Whether the trial court properly instructed the jury concerning the extent to which defendant was entitled to exercise the right of self-defense when he was assaulted in his own home.
Whether the statutory procedures for post-conviction DNA testing are available to convicted defendants who entered guilty pleas; whether defendant made a sufficient showing of materiality to obtain the entry of an order providing for post-conviction DNA testing.
Whether a condition imposed as a part of a defendant's probation or suspended sentence is reasonably related to the defendant's rehabilitation or violates the defendant's parental rights when the condition prohibits contact between the defendant and the victim of his crime, when the victim also happens to be the sole legal and physical custodian of the defendant's child.
Whether an indictment for attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon which alleges that a defendant attempted to rob a defined group of individuals at a specific location on a particular date was sufficient to place the defendant on notice of the crime he is alleged to have committed and to protect the defendant from double jeopardy.
Whether the Court of Appeals improperly reweighed facts in reversing the trial court's order granting the defendant a new trial.
State employee retirees' health insurance benefits were deferred compensation offered as part of an employment contract that can be modified by statute but cannot be substantially impaired. Plaintiffs' evidence failed to show that the plaintiff class as a whole suffered substantial impairment in their contractual rights.
Declaratory judgment; tortious interference with contract; personal jurisdiction.
Whether an individual's leaving work was attributable to his employer as required by N.C.G.S. 96-14.5 (2021) to avoid disqualification for unemployment benefits.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred by affirming the trial court's dismissal of plaintiff's claims for unfair and deceptive trade practices and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
Mandate: 3 March 2022
Zip File of Published Opinions
Headnote Index: 11 February 2022
Case Title / Description
Termination of parental rights pursuant to N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(5) (2019); no-merit review pursuant to Rule 3.1(e) of the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure.
Whether the trial court committed clear error in overruling defendant's Batson challenge.
Whether the trial court committed plain error in permitting expert testimony that the victim was 'sexually abused' in the absence of physical evidence or in permitting testimony identifying the defendant as the perpetrator. Whether defendant received ineffective assistance of counsel on the face of the record.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred in reversing the judgment of the trial court on the basis that plaintiffs' sweepstakes game violates N.C.G.S. 14-306.4.
Whether the trial court's admission of testimony that we assume arguendo violated defendant's rights under the Confrontation Clause and Rule 404(b) was prejudicial.
Whether plaintiff's amended complaint sufficed to allege a claim for relief pursuant to N.C.G.S. 147-76.1.
Whether the Industrial Commission's calculation of the plaintiff's average weekly wages pursuant to N.C.G.S. 97-2(5) and its determination concerning whether that calculation produces results that are fair and just to both parties involve an issue of law or an issue of fact.
Termination of parental rights; whether the trial court properly concluded respondent's parental rights were subject to termination under N.C.G.S. 7B-1111(a)(1); whether the trial court abused its discretion when it concluded termination was in the child's best interests.
Whether the probation violation reports entered in defendant's case sufficiently pleaded that defendant had absconded supervision; whether the trial court abused its discretion in revoking defendant's probation pursuant to a finding that defendant in fact absconded supervision.
Termination of parental rights; no-merit brief.
Whether the trial court erred by instructing the jury that defendant would not be entitled to self-defense if the jury found that he was a felon in possession of a firearm at the time of the killing.
Review of Court of Appeals' decision addressing trial court's dismissal of a claim of neglect; de novo review.
Business investments are not 'in or affecting commerce' under the North Carolina Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Whether the trial court erred by denying a motion to continue the termination hearing; whether the trial court complied with the requirements of the Indian Child Welfare Act; and whether the trial court erred by eliminating visitation in the permanency planning order.
Whether the Court of Appeals erred by reversing defendant's convictions for insufficient evidence.
Termination of parental rights; whether the trial court erred by determining that there was a likelihood of future neglect if the child was returned to respondent's care.