What law applies when a juvenile is suspected of impaired driving? If the juvenile is 16- or 17-years-old, the criminal law applies in the same way that it applies to someone aged 18 or older. These offenses are carved out of juvenile jurisdiction (G.S. 7B-1501(7)b.) They are therefore criminal matters from their inception. However, if the juvenile is under age 16 at the time of the offense, the case is a juvenile matter from its inception. This blog explains how cases alleging impaired driving under the age of 16 should proceed pursuant to the Juvenile Code.
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New Dean Appointed for the School: Aimee Wall
The School of Government was founded 92 years ago as the Institute of Government. As my colleague Jeff Welty stated on the NC Criminal Law blog, to say that the School has had continuity of leadership would be an understatement. The top job has been held by just four people, three of whom served more than two decades each:
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Challenging Assumptions in Incompetency Proceedings: Ideas for Guardians ad Litem
Recently, the School of Government hosted its biennial Guardianship Proceedings for Appointed Counsel program, co-sponsored by the Office of Indigent Defense Services. The program brings together attorneys who serve as guardians ad litem (GALs) in incompetency and guardianship proceedings – a unique role in our judicial system if ever there was one.
During the program, we discussed the reality that in every proceeding, assumptions get made—by the parties, doctors, social workers, clerks, and GALs themselves—and we brainstormed how GALs can turn those moments into opportunities for more effective representation. I thought it could be useful to share some of the ideas discussed by the group and to welcome folks who were not in attendance to reach out and share their own ideas. Continue Reading
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Equitable Distribution: When does a Trust have to be joined as a party?
In an earlier post, I wrote about LLCs and when the LLC as an entity must be joined as a party to the equitable distribution proceeding. https://civil.sog.unc.edu/equitable-distribution-when-does-the-marital-llc-have-to-be-joined-as-a-party/ . The same issue arises when one or both parties have a beneficial interest in a Trust claimed to be marital property.
A beneficiary’s interest in an express Trust varies significantly based on the specific provisions of the Trust. But, in most situations, the beneficiary of an express Trust has a property interest in the Trust that can be classified, valued, and distributed in equitable distribution. See e.g., Lawrence v. Lawrence, 100 NC App 1 (1990). See also discussion, Brett R. Turner, Equitable Distribution of Property, section 6.94, citing along with other cases, Jenkins v. Jenkins, 368 S.W.3d 363 (Mo. Ct. App. W.D. 2012); and Fox v. Fox, 592 N.W.2d 541 (N.D. 1999). [Turner also acknowledges that an interest in some trusts may be so contingent and speculative as to not amount to a recognizable property interest. That discussion is beyond the scope of this post].
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A Refresher on North Carolina’s Needle Exchange Law and Other Harm Reduction Immunities
**This post was written by my colleague Phil Dixon. You can reach Phil at dixon@sog.unc.edu
In response to the opioid crisis, North Carolina passed several protections designed to alleviate some of the legal liability surrounding drug use in the interest of harm reduction and public health. One of those protections authorized needle exchange programs (alternatively known as safe syringes programs). G.S. 90-113.27. A recent study examined how the needle exchange program is working in seven North Carolina counties and found that the law was not consistently applied. Brandon Morrison et al., “They Don’t Go by the Law Around Here”: Law Enforcement Interactions After the Legalization of Syringe Services Programs in North Carolina, vol. 19, Harm Reduction Journal, 106 (Sept. 27, 2022). Considering the study’s findings, I thought a refresher on the immunity provisions for syringe exchanges and similar protections would be timely. Read on for the details.
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Nontestimonial Identification Orders in Delinquency Matters
The law that governs the use of nontestimonial identification procedures in delinquency matters is markedly different than the law that governs use of these same procedures in criminal matters. The Juvenile Code requires a court order prior to the use of most nontestimonial identification procedures, a nontestimonial identification order (NTO) can only be issued in relation to felony charges, there are specific statutes that govern the destruction of resulting records, and the willful violation of the juvenile NTO statutes carries a criminal penalty. This post describes when NTOs are needed, and the procedure that must be followed to obtain them, in matters under juvenile jurisdiction. Continue Reading
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Human Trafficking: New SOG Resource Explaining Your Obligation to Make a Report and How the Agency Responds
January recognizes the importance of knowing about human trafficking. The President has declared January Human Trafficking Prevention Month (see the proclamation here). The North Carolina Governor and the Chief Justice have both declared January Human Trafficking Awareness Month (see the Governor’s proclamation here and the Chief Justice’s proclamation here). The purpose of these declarations is both a recognition that human trafficking in the United States and North Carolina exists and to educate our citizens about this issue. Partnerships are required for a successful response to combat the crime of human trafficking, which involves both sex and labor trafficking. The national, state, and local responses involve the prevention of human trafficking, protection for victims and survivors, and the prosecution of traffickers.
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North Carolina has new Child Support Guidelines
Pursuant to GS 50-13.4(c1), the North Carolina Conference of Chief District Court Judges recently reviewed the North Carolina Child Support Guidelines. The Chief Judges considered comments and information from the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts in the form of a report from the national Center for Policy Research, recommendations from judges and practicing attorneys across the state, and suggestions from the public during a public hearing held on June 2, 2022. Following this review, the Chief Judges updated the Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations to reflect current tax rates, the most recent Consumer Price Index and the current federal poverty level. In addition, the Chief Judges adopted a few changes to the substantive provisions of the Guidelines discussed below.
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Apply Now for the Upcoming Adult Protection Multidisciplinary Team Workshop
Someone once told me that to get people really interested in a meeting you need to either make it free to attend or provide food. Well, thanks to funding from the North Carolina Judicial College, we are doing both for an upcoming workshop at the School of Government. It will be held March 2-3, 2023, and will bring together diverse stakeholders from around North Carolina to begin the process of forming and developing adult protection multidisciplinary teams (MDTs). Each team may send up to seven people to participate in the workshop. The application period is now open and runs through January 13, 2023. You can learn details about the workshop and apply here.
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Incapacity to Proceed (G.S. Chapter 15A) and Incompetency (G.S. Chapter 35A): Apples and Oranges?
Incapacity to proceed under North Carolina General Statutes (G.S.) Chapter 15A and incompetency proceedings under G.S. Chapter 35A involve, at least in part, a court inquiry into someone’s cognitive abilities. Incapacity to proceed is narrowly focused on a person’s cognition within a criminal legal proceeding. Incompetency is a bigger picture analysis, more broadly focused on the individual’s life and needs, with a bit of forward-looking involved. In that way, incompetency is concerned with both a person’s cognitive abilities and their functioning.
These proceedings are separate and distinct from one another. Yet, if a client has history or present involvement in both, the client’s attorney in one proceeding should know about and understand the other. That attorney may want, for example, to access information or introduce evidence from the other proceeding. The attorney will want to consider issues such as information sharing and confidentiality, and the admissibility or other uses of records from one proceeding in the other.
These issues may be the subject of future posts. First, however, we need to understand incapacity to proceed under G.S. Chapter 15A and incompetency under G.S. Chapter 35A. This post provides a primer on incapacity and incompetency proceedings and compares the standards for each. Continue Reading