by Michelle Sparrow | Oct 28, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
A 53-year-old woman was arrested last week and returned to Raleigh from her Georgia home to face a murder charge in a killing that took place almost exactly 12 years ago. The arrested woman was taken into custody by police and charged in the Oct. 24, 2001 beating... by Michelle Sparrow | Oct 12, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
Proof beyond a reasonable doubt. This is what the prosecution must present in order to convince a jury of a defendant’s guilt. We have all heard this phrase countless times, but it gains real meaning when the defendant’s life and lifelong freedom hang in... by Michelle Sparrow | Oct 11, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act was passed in 2009. It was intended to help defendants combat racial discrimination. Racial discrimination can, of course, be present in many forms. One way it has deeply affected the criminal justice system is in how some... by Michelle Sparrow | Sep 27, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
The North Carolina crime lab is making news again, but this time it is for identifying matching strands of tinsel. Specifically, the tinsel appears to tie a murder suspect to the location at which the body of his stepmother was found. The State Bureau of Investigation... by Michelle Sparrow | Sep 26, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
The death penalty has equally passionate arguments on both sides. Because of this, the history of the death penalty in the United States — not to mention here in North Carolina — has been turbulent. A law professor has released a new book about the death...