The retrial of accused killer Jason Young may be near an end. Defense counsel is expected to wrap up tomorrow, and court watchers believe the case could head to the jury on Friday. The trial opened in Raleigh on Feb. 6, eight months after the defendant's first trial ended with a dead-locked jury. Young is accused of killing his wife.
Student crime in North Carolina on the rise
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released data this past week indicating that student crime is on the rise statewide, generally from the use of alcohol and drugs while on a public campus. According to law enforcement officers, students are more likely to bring prescription pills into the classroom, whether stolen from their parents' medicine cabinet or obtained through other means.
NC State student faces drunk driving charges after Sunday crash
A North Carolina State junior civil engineering major faces drunk driving charges after a serious car accident this weekend left another student in critical condition. Authorities say that the accident happened on campus on Dan Allen drive. It appears that the junior was turning into a service road to the Dan Allen Parking Deck when he cut off a cyclist.
High court considers reasonable search question in drug case
Supreme Court justices in North Carolina are reviewing arguments in the case of a teenager whose bra was searched at school. The young woman, who was suspected of drug crimes, was taken into a room, asked to untuck her shirt, and made to show school officials her bra straps during a physical search.
Prosecutors want changes to Innocence Inquiry Commission
The North Carolina General Assembly will once again grapple with issues surrounding the Innocence Inquiry Commission when the session starts in May. Prosecutors told a House judiciary subcommittee last week that they wanted concessions beyond what they agreed to in 2011. Proponents of the commission and criminal defense attorneys were surprised to hear that prosecutors did not believe the 2011 compromise bill put some issues to rest.
DWI charge prompts defendant to change her life
Certain wake-up calls aren't what you want to experience, while others prompt you to change your life. That was the case for a North Carolina woman. Last February the woman was charged with DWI and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
North Carolina's Racial Justice Act put to its first test
The Racial Justice Act, saved from repeal by Gov. Bev Perdue last December, faces its first real-life test this week. The law allows death row inmates to use statistics to prove that racial bias was a significant factor at trial, in sentencing or in denial of an appeal. If the petitioner succeeds, the sentence is changed to life in prison without possibility of parole.
Make safety the theme of your Super Bowl party this year
The day of the Super Bowl is one of the biggest drinking days of the year, and that means the roads in and around Raleigh will be dotted with sobriety checkpoints. Neighborhoods will see more patrol cars around, too. The objective is to get as many drunk drivers off the roads as possible, so local and state law enforcement will not hesitate to stop drivers they believe are driving drunk or committing even the most minor traffic offense.
