North Carolina Supreme Court Decisions 2020
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 141A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court remanded this case for a new trial with respect to the issue of Defendant's guilt of the murder of his grandfather, holding that the court of appeals erred in holding that the trial court's instruction…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 151PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeals affirming Defendant's convictions, holding that the trial court abused its discretion when it "flatly prohibited questioning as to issues of race and…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 156A17-2
Justia Opinion Summary: In this dispute in which Plaintiffs sought reimbursement for healthcare costs based upon claims for restraint of trade and monopolization pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 75 and N.C. Const. art. I, 34, the Supreme…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 189A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the judgment of the trial court refusing to accept Defendant's tendered guilty plea, holding that the trial court lacked discretion to reject…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 241PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the trial court's decision to grant summary judgment to Defendant in this medical malpractice action, holding that the trial court properly…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 249PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: In this dispute between petitioner Ashe County Board of Commissioners and respondents Ashe County Planning Board and Appalachian Materials, LLC arising from Appalachian Materials' application for a permit pursuant to the…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 268A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and vacated in part the judgment of the district court determining that termination of Father's parental rights was not in the child's best interests and dismissing Bethany Christian…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 276A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to Beth, holding that the trial court did not err. After a termination hearing, the trial court terminated Father's parental…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 300A93-3
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the trial court's denial of Defendant's motion for appropriately relief filed after he was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, holding that certain undisclosed evidence was material…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 315PA18-2
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals upholding that trial court's decision to grant judgment on the pleadings in favor of certain members of the North Carolina General Assembly and against the…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 319A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the district court terminating Mother's parental rights to her minor daughter, holding that Petitioners did not prove by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence that grounds existed…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 324A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals holding that substantial evidence existed to create a bona fide doubt as to Defendant's competency and that, therefore, the trial court's failure to make an…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 343A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the court of appeals' decision vacating a juvenile's adjudications for first-degree forcible sexual offense and second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and a disposition order but reversed…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 356A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the orders of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights in her two children, holding that, given the very limited inquiry inquiry that the trial court undertook before allowing…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 383A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the trial court reversing the trial court's order granting judgment on the pleadings regarding Plaintiffs' claim for negligent infliction of emotional distress, holding that the…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 391A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme held that the trial court did not err in determining that Defendants were not afforded underinsured motorist and medical payments coverage under an insurance policy issued by Plaintiff, an insurance company,…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 392A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated Defendant's convictions and the resulting judgments against him, holding that the trial court committed prejudicial error in its jury instruction on the theory of acting in concert as a basis…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 396A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court ordered that Court of Appeals Judge Hunter Murphy should be censured for violations of Canons 1, 2B, 3A(3), and 3B(2) of the North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct amounting to conduct prejudicial to…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 400A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals affirming Defendant's conviction, holding that the trial court erred by failing to conduct a competency hearing under the circumstances of this case. After…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 407A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the Business Court granting summary judgment in favor of Defendants, holding that the Business Court properly determined that North Carolina's economic loss rule requires…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 426A18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's order regarding class certification in this case and dismissed Defendants' interlocutory appeal regarding portions of the trial court's order that pertained to discovery…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 430A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's order terminating Mother's parental rights, holding that the trial court did not err in determining that Mother's parental rights in the children were subject to termination…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 458A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his two biological children, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in finding the existence of the…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 484A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals reversing Defendant's conviction, holding that the court of appeals correctly held that the trial court committed plain error when it admitted improper…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 65A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court adopted the recommendations from the Judicial Standards Commission that Edwin D. Clontz, a Judge of the General Court of Justice, District Court Division, Judicial District Twenty-Eight, be publicly…
Date: December 18, 2020
Docket Number: 8A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court held that the scheduling and procedural circumstances existent in this case did not constitute an infringement upon Defendant's constitutional right to a speedy trial. After a jury trial, Defendant was…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 11A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Parents' parental rights in their two minor children, Justin and Billy, holding that the trial court did not err. The trial court entered an order…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 122A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her minor child, holding that the trial court's conclusion that one statutory ground for termination existed pursuant to…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 153A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed orders entered by the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights in her two minor children, holding that the trial court did not err or abuse its discretion. The trial court entered…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 188A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his child on the grounds of willful failure to pay for the cost of care of the child and willful abandonment, holding…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 208A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Parents' parental rights in their minor child, holding that the issues identified by counsel as arguably supporting the appeal were meritless. The…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 231A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's orders terminating Father's parental rights to his two minor children, holding that the issues identified by counsel as arguably supporting the appeal were meritless. As to…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Numbers: 271A18, 401A18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed and remanded in part orders entered by the North Carolina Utilities Commission addressing applications filed by Duke Energy Progress, LLC and Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC,…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 27A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the orders of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her two children, holding that the trial court erred in finding that grounds existed to terminate Mother's parental rights…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 339A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Parents' parental rights in their three minor children, holding that the trial court did not err or abuse its discretion. The trial court entered an…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 41A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated the dispositional portion of the trial court's order terminating Father's parental rights to his minor child and remanded for entry of a new dispositional order, holding that the trial court…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 451A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order entered by the trial court terminating Father's parental rights in his minor children, holding that the trial court did not err or abuse its discretion. The trial court entered an…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 54A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court remanded this termination of parental rights case to the trial court, holding that while the trial court correctly applied North Carolina law in terminating Mother's parental rights, the case should be…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 59A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her minor child, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in failing sua sponte to conduct a second inquiry…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 67A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her minor child, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in determining that termination of Mother's…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 68A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and vacated in part the judgment of the trial court terminating Parents' parental rights to their two children, Alyson, age nine, and Adam, age seventeen, holding that remand was…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 88A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her two children, holding that the trial court properly decided to terminate the parental rights of Mother. On appeal,…
Date: December 11, 2020
Docket Number: 92A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her three minor children, holding that the issues raised by counsel in a no-merit brief did not entitle Mother to…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 10A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights in his daughter, holding that the trial court lacked personal jurisdiction over Father in light of Mother's failure to effect…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 123A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's order terminating Mother's parental rights to her child, holding that the trial court correctly concluded that grounds existed under N.C. Gen. Stat. 7B-1111(a)(1) to terminate…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 18A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his minor child, holding that the trial court did not err by terminating Father's parental rights on the ground of neglect…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 191A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights in her two minor children, holding that termination was proper in this case. After a hearing, the trial court entered a…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 255A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights, holding that a parent and child must be living apart from each other for more than twelve months prior to the filing of a…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 354A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her five minor children, including Connor, the oldest child, holding that the trial court's conclusion that it was in…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 369A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Parents' parental rights to their three children, holding that the trial court did not err in determining that grounds existed to terminate Parents'…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 379A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Parents' parental rights in their two children, holding that the court did not err or abuse its discretion. Specifically, the Supreme Court held (1) a…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 397A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his son, holding that the trial court's conclusion that one statutory ground for termination existed pursuant to N.C. Gen.…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 39A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his two minor children, holding that the issues identified by counsel in Father's brief were meritless. The trial court…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 413A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court terminating Mother's parental rights to her three minor children, holding that the unchallenged findings of fact supported the trial court's conclusion that…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 452A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights in his minor child, holding that the trial court did not err. Specifically, the Supreme Court held (1) the trial court did not…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 461A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed in part the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her minor child, holding that the trial court erred in concluding that Mother's rights were subject to termination…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 462A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Parents' parental rights to each of their six minor children, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion. The trial court found the…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 474A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his minor child in this private termination action, holding that termination was proper on willful abandonment grounds.…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 491A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Parents' parental rights to their two children, holding that the trial court had jurisdiction to enter the termination order and did not abuse its…
Date: November 20, 2020
Docket Number: 87A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his three minor children, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion. Father successfully appealed an…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 11A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the decision of the court of appeals remanding this case for a new trial on an assault charge and vacating the judgment convicting Defendant of first-degree murder…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 130A03-2
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated the order of the trial court dismissing Defendant's motion for appropriate relief (MAR) in which Defendant asserted claims under the Racial Justice Act (RJA), holding that the retroactive…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 18PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court modified and affirmed in part and reversed in part the decision of the court of appeals holding that Plaintiff failed properly to plead administrative negligence under N.C. Gen. Stat. 90-21.11(2)(b),…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 21A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her son, holding that the trial court's findings of fact and the evidence supported the conclusion that Mother willfully…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 221A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals affirming Defendant's conviction, holding that the rationale underlying State v. Harbison, 337 S.E.2d 504 (N.C. 1985) applies equally when defense counsel…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 290PA15-2
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals concluding that Defendant received ineffective assistance of appellate counsel, holding that Defendant failed to prove that his appellate counsel's…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 401A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his two children on the ground of willful abandonment, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 409A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in concluding that it was in the child's best interest to terminate…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 429A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeals affirming the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights on the grounds of willful abandonment, holding that Petitioners failed to prove…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 476A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her minor child, holding that the issues identified by counsel in Mother's brief were without merit. The trial court…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 69A06-4
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals reversing a superior court order, holding that Defendant failed to meet the required condition of N.C. Gen. Stat. 15A-269(a) that postconviction DNA testing…
Date: September 25, 2020
Docket Number: 7PA17-3
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court terminating Mother's parental rights in her daughter, holding that the issues raised by Mother and her counsel were meritless. The district court adjudicated…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 113A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court modified and affirmed the decision of the Business Court dismissing Defendant's crossclaims against a co-defendant, holding that the Business Court correctly dismissed the crossclaims. This appeal…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 119PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court modified and affirmed the decision of the court of appeals upholding Defendant's convictions for two counts of engaging in sexual activity with a student, holding that Defendant sufficiently preserved…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 132PA18-2
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the decision of the court of appeals affirming the judgment finding Defendants liable for defamation and awarding Plaintiff compensatory and punitive damages,…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 14A20
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights in her four minor children, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by determining that it was in the…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 217A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his children, holding that the trial court failed to comply with the mandatory notice requirements of the Indian Child…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 279A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Business Court in this action brought by Global Textile Alliance, Inc. (GTA) alleging that Defendants engaged in several improper acts during the formation and operation of…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 294A18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals concluding that the General Assembly did not intend for the means of proof mentioned in the Habitual Felons Act, N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-7.4, to be exclusive,…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 2A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals reversing Defendant's convictions and granting Defendant a new trial, holding that the trial court erred by declining to give Defendant's requested jury…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 31PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the trial court's ruling denying Plaintiff's motions for relief from the order vacating the registration of her foreign support order, holding…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 326PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals concluding that an internist proffered by Plaintiff to provide standard of care expert testimony against three hospitalists was properly qualified under…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 365A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his three children in this private termination action, holding that the trial court considered the factors in N.C. Gen.…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 380A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his daughter, holding that the trial court properly terminated Father's rights based on an adjudication under N.C. Gen.…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 390A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the district court eliminating reunification from the permanent plan for Mother's daughter and terminating Mother's parental rights in the child, holding that that district court…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 411A94-6
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court held that the retroactivity provision of the Racial Justice Act (RJA) Repeal violated the double jeopardy protections of the North Carolina Constitution. Defendant was convicted of first-degree murder…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 94PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals reversing Defendant's convictions, holding that the State presented sufficient evidence at trial to show that Defendant possessed the felonious intent…
Date: August 14, 2020
Docket Number: 99PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the court of appeals' decision affirming the North Carolina Industrial Commission's finding that the uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM) proceeds that Plaintiff received on behalf of her…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 233A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her minor child, holding that the evidence and findings of fact supported the trial court's conclusion that grounds existed…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 272A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her three children, holding that the trial court did not err in adjudicating the existence of grounds to terminate Mother's…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 277A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Respondents' parental rights to their two minor children, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by concluding that termination was…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 298A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Respondents' parental rights, holding that the trial court made sufficient findings of fact that were supported by clear and convincing evidence to…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 299A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her minor child, holding that the trial court complied with the court of appeals' mandate on remand and did not abuse its…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 301A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Respondents' parental rights in their three minor children, holding that the trial court did not err by finding that grounds existed to support the…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 303A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Respondents' parental rights to their child, holding that the trial court correctly determined that grounds existed pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat.…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 329A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights in her minor son, holding that the trial court erred in concluding that grounds existed to terminate Mother's parental…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 336A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the determination of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his minor child, holding that the trial court did not err in adjudicating the ground of neglect and did not abuse…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 389A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated the order of the trial court denying Mother's petition to terminate the parental rights of Father, holding that the trial court failed to make sufficient findings of fact and conclusions of law…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 395PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her four minor children, holding that the trial court properly adjudicated a ground for terminating Mother's parental…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 402A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his minor child, holding that the issue identified by counsel in Father's brief as arguably supporting the appeal was…
Date: July 17, 2020
Docket Number: 431A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his minor child, holding that there was no merit in Father's argument that the trial court lacked personal jurisdiction to…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 129A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights, holding that the status exception to the requirement that a nonresident parent have minimum contacts with North Carolina in…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 147PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: In this class action, the Supreme Court recognized a narrow exception to the doctrine of mootness when a named plaintiff's individual claim becomes moot before the plaintiff has had a fair opportunity to pursue class…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 170A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court held that Defendant could not be separately convicted and punished for the offenses of both habitual misdemeanor assault and felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury stemming from the same…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 181A93-4
Justia Opinion Summary: For the reasons articulated in State v. Ramseur, N.C. Jun. 5, 2020, the Supreme Court vacated the orders of the trial court concluding that the claims in Defendant's second motion for appropriate relief (MAR) pursuant to…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 201A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals affirming Defendant's conviction for solicitation by computer or electronic device of a person believed to be fifteen years of age or younger for the…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 206A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals that vacated Defendants' convictions for certain charges, holding that when the prosecutor moved to amend the arrest warrant to correctly state the name of…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 216A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals vacating the trial court's grant of summary judgment in favor of Defendant in this negligence action, holding that because the alleged defect was open and…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 230A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Respondents' rights to their minor child, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in determining that it would be in the child's best…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 274A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his child, holding that Father did not meet his burden of showing that the trial court lacked jurisdiction under the Uniform…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 281A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Parents' parental rights to their two minor children, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion by determining that termination of…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 292A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Respondents' parental rights, holding that the trial court's order was supported by clear, cogent, and convincing evidence and based on proper legal…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 295A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court on adjudication and disposition that terminated Mother's parental rights to her child, holding that the trial court did not err or abuse its…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 300A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his minor child, holding that the trial court did not err in adjudicating neglect as a ground to terminate Father's parental…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 314A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights in her two minor children, holding that the court's findings of fact were sufficient to comply with the requirements of N.C.…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 319PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court modified and affirmed the judgment of the court of appeals reversing the trial court's award of attorney fees to Defendant, holding that N.C. Gen. Stat. 6-19.1 does not preclude a trial court from…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 32A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court modified and affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the trial court's determination that Defendant failed to demonstrate a fair and just reason for the withdrawal of his guilty plea,…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 388A10
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the trial court dismissing Defendant's motion seeking relief pursuant to the newly enacted North Carolina Racial Justice Act (RJA) on the basis that the RJA had been repealed…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 406PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals affirming superior court judgments denying Defendant's Batson motion, holding that Defendant presented a sufficient record to permit meaningful appellate…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 437PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court held that the trial court erred by failing to summarily deny the applications for the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus submitted by Petitioners, Carlos Chavez and Luis Lopez, for its consideration in…
Date: June 5, 2020
Docket Number: 455A18
Justia Opinion Summary: In this child custody dispute between two biological parents the Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals to the extent that it vacated the trial court's order regarding custody, holding that a trial…
Date: May 1, 2020
Docket Number: 142PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the court of appeals concluding that officials of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (University) are required to release, as public records, disciplinary records…
Date: May 1, 2020
Docket Number: 258A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the orders of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights in his two minor children in grounds of willful abandonment, holding that there was no error in the termination orders. In…
Date: May 1, 2020
Docket Number: 263PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed Defendant's conviction, holding that the trial court clearly erred in ruling that Defendant failed to prove purposeful discrimination with respect to the State's use of peremptory challenges to…
Date: May 1, 2020
Docket Number: 267PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the trial court's judgment evicting Tenant and granting possession of the apartment in which she lived to Landlord based on nonpayment of rent for…
Date: May 1, 2020
Docket Number: 340A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Court of Appeals affirming the trial court's denial of Defendant's motion to suppress evidence, holding that there was no reasonable suspicion to justify the law enforcement…
Date: May 1, 2020
Docket Number: 360A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the order of the trial court denying Defendant's motion to suppress evidence seized during the execution of a search warrant, holding that the…
Date: May 1, 2020
Docket Number: 51PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the judgment of the trial court awarding Plaintiffs compensation for a taking of various portions of their property with pre-judgment interest, holding that the…
Date: May 1, 2020
Docket Number: 6A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the trial court's judgment convicting Defendant for conspiracy to commit harassment of a juror, holding that the trial court erred in denying…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 124PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: In this medical malpractice action, the Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals affirming the trial court's order granting Defendant's motion to dismiss on the basis that Plaintiff's complaint failed…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 150A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights in his minor child, holding that the trial court did not err by concluding that Father's parental rights were subject to…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 188A18-2
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 195A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeals awarding Defendant a new trial after he was convicted of first-degree murder, holding that the trial court did not commit prejudicial error when it…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 212A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father and Mother's parental rights to their two children, holding that the trial court did not err in its decision. The Department of Social Services…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 227A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court terminating Father's parental rights to his child, holding that the district court did not err in concluding that grounds existed to terminate Father's parental…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 231A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court granting the petition filed by Mother for the termination of Father's parental rights, holding that the trial court appropriately found grounds to terminate…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 259A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his child, holding that the trial court did not err in its determination. Mother filed a petition to terminate Father's…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 273A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his child, holding that the trial court appropriately found grounds to terminate Father's parental rights under N.C. Gen.…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 339A18
Justia Opinion Summary: In this complaint seeking to have the Attorney General preliminarily and permanently enjoined from distributing monies received pursuant to an agreement between the Attorney General and Smithfield Foods, Inc. and several…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 369PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: In this dispute concerning the manner in which the cost of pensions for certain retirees should be funded, the Supreme Court held that the Administrative Procedure Act's (APA) rulemaking procedures bind how the…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 371PA18
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 398PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeals affirming the trial court's summary judgment for the Town of Pinebluff, holding that the court of appeals erred in concluding that Session Law 1999-35…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 434PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decisions of the court of appeals and the trial court holding that the City of Asheville improperly denied an application for the issuance of a conditional use permit submitted by PHG…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 75PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals reversing judgments entered by the superior court convicting and sentencing Defendant on five separate counts for violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-269.2(b)…
Date: April 3, 2020
Docket Number: 79PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court modified and affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming Defendant's convictions, holding that Defendant preserved his challenges to the sufficiency of the evidence for appeal but that the…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 139A18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court granting summary judgment in favor of Osae and Scott Bader with respect to SciGrip's trade secrets claim, unfair and deceptive trade practices claim, and request…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 140A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights, holding that the trial court made and relied upon findings of fact that were supported by clear, cogent, and convincing…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 153A19
Justia Opinion Summary: In this tax dispute, the Supreme Court reversed the final decision of the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) entering summary judgment in favor of Graybar Electric Company, Inc., holding that dividends deducted on a…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 160A19
Justia Opinion Summary: In this action arising out of an alleged breach of a professional services agreement (PSA) between Vizant Technologies, LLC and YRC Worldwide Inc. the Supreme Court concluded that YRC's motion for summary judgment should…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 168A19
Justia Opinion Summary: In this action asserting claims for breach of contract and fraud the Supreme Court granted Defendants' motion to stay proceedings under N.C. Gen. Stat. 1-75.12 on forum non conveniens grounds and denied as moot all other…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 183PA16-2
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 188A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the court of appeals concluding that the trial court failed to satisfy the requirements of N.C. Gen. Stat. 15A-1242 before allowing Defendant to proceed pro se, holding that the…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 197A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her four children, holding that the evidence supported the trial court's conclusion that grounds existed to terminate…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 1PA19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals invalidating a decision by an administrative law judge (ALJ) to award back pay and attorneys' fees to a local government employee protected under the North…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 220A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her five minor children, holding that the trial court's findings supported its conclusion that grounds existed to terminate…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 239A18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed in part the decision of the court of appeals vacating a judgment entered by the superior court convicting Defendant of indecent exposure and remanding for a new trial, holding that there was no…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 242A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court ordered that Respondent Michael A. Stone, a judge of the General Court of Justice, District Court Division 16A, be censured for conduct in violation of Canons 1, 2A, and 2B of the North Carolina Code of…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 257PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the court of appeals concluding that the trial court committed prejudicial error when it failed to instruct the jury on justification as a defense for the charge of possession…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 288PA18
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals upholding Defendant's convictions but modified the court of appeals' decision because the trial court did not err by not instructing the jury on the…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 293A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the court of appeals reversing in part the trial court's judgments and holding that the trial court had erred by denying Defendant's motion to dismiss the possession of a weapon…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 34PA14-2
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming Defendant's convictions and rejecting Defendant's argument that the trial court erred in denying his motion to dismiss on jurisdictional grounds,…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 360A18
Justia Opinion Summary: In this business case, the Supreme Court reversed the orders of the business court denying Plaintiffs' motion for default judgment based on its finding that Plaintiffs had failed to satisfy their burden of proving that…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 365A16-2
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals reversing the superior court's judgment following Defendant's plea of guilty to trafficking in cocaine, holding that the court of appeals correctly…
Date: February 28, 2020
Docket Number: 42A19
Justia Opinion Summary: In this insurance dispute, the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the business court finding that the policy was unambiguous and dismissing Plaintiff's claim for breach of contract, holding that the term actual cash…
Date: January 24, 2020
Docket Number: 110A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated the trial court's order terminating the parental rights of Father to his child on the basis of neglect, holding that the findings in the court's order were insufficient to support a…
Date: January 24, 2020
Docket Number: 159A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Mother's parental rights to her daughter, holding that the trial court did not err in terminating Mother's parental rights. In terminating Mother's…
Date: January 24, 2020
Docket Number: 172A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's permanency planning order and order terminating Mother's parental rights to her three children, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in concluding that it…
Date: January 24, 2020
Docket Number: 229A19
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the trial court terminating Father's parental rights to his son, holding that the trial court did not err in terminating Father's parental rights. The trial court found that…
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
