by Michelle Sparrow | May 17, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
We are still talking about North Carolina’s medical examiners. Testimony given at a recent hearing held by the North Carolina Industrial Commission highlights some of the shortcomings of the current system, and lawmakers are wondering if the state should... by Michelle Sparrow | May 11, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
Imagine being the brother of a woman who died with two friends in a fiery crash. The news itself is devastating. Arranging to have your sister’s remains shipped to your home state is gut-wrenching. The body arrives at the funeral home, where you are asked to... by Michelle Sparrow | May 9, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
We are talking about medical examiners in North Carolina. The medical examiner is the first step in a death investigation, really. As we said in our last post, it is the medical examiner who officially designates a death a suicide or a homicide, a natural or an... by Michelle Sparrow | May 2, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
North Carolina did away with coroners more than 45 years ago. Coroners did not have to have any medical expertise to do their jobs, a shortcoming when it came to investigating causes of death. The state adopted a new system that used medical examiners instead.... by Michelle Sparrow | Apr 26, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
A Wake County Superior Court judge ruled this week that a husband and wife charged with murder will have separate trials. Both attorneys and the district attorney’s office had initially agreed to one trial for both defendants. In early April, though, the... by Michelle Sparrow | Apr 11, 2013 | Criminal Law Blog, Homicide
The bill that would repeal North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act has not made it out of committee in the House of Representatives, but the bill’s authors are confident that it will pass and be signed during this session. Opponents of the Racial Justice Act...