Appellate Court Opinions

Whether a deceased employee's prior filing of a workers' compensation claim is sufficient to invoke the Industrial Commission's jurisdiction over a dependent's subsequent claim for death benefits under N.C.G.S. 97-24.

Whether the Supreme Court of the United States' decision in McLeod v. J.E. Dilworth Co., 322 U.S. 327 (1944) prevents the assessment of North Carolina sales tax on purchases from a Wisconsin-based printing company for materials mailed into North Carolina to customers or their designees.

Declaratory judgment action by insured to determine extent to which various insurers are responsible for defense costs and indemnification for hundreds of product-liability claims based on the insurance policy provisions. Coverage under the policies is triggered when the claimant is exposed to the defective product, allocation of costs and damages should be pro rata among multiple insurers, and vertical exhaustion applies to coverage under excess policies.

Whether defendant's actions were sufficiently egregious to permit the trial court to determine that defendant had waived or forfeited her constitutional right to counsel.

Whether the trial court committed prejudicial error by declining defendant's request to issue a jury instruction on involuntary manslaughter.

Whether the admission of testimony describing the alleged victim's account as 'rock solid' constituted plain error.

Whether the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support defendant's conviction for the second of two counts of first-degree kidnapping given that the indictment alleged that defendant had confined, restrained, and removed the victim for the purpose of facilitating the commission of a first-degree rape.

Whether the trial court possessed jurisdiction to revoke a defendant's probation after the defendant's term of probation had expired.

Whether sufficient evidence was presented to support an inference of defendant's intent to deceive.

Whether the trial court abused its discretion in declining to reduce defendant's sentence on drug trafficking charges as permitted by N.C.G.S. 90-95(h)(5).

Whether the Court of Appeals erred by concluding that the trial court complied with the procedure mandated by the legislature under N.C.G.S. 15A-1201(d)(1) for the trial court's consent to defendant's waiver of his right to a jury trial.

Whether the facts alleged in plaintiff's amended complaint were sufficient to establish standing to challenge the City's removal of a Confederate monument from privately owned property located in downtown Winston-Salem.

Whether an individual who lacks a legal relationship with the deceased employee can file a claim for death benefits under N.C.G.S. 97-39.

Whether findings of fact by the trial court were required when no party specifically requested them.

Whether the trial court abused its discretion in denying plaintiffs' motion for class certification under Rule 23 of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure.

Whether a state-run Alabama university can open an office in North Carolina, recruit students for its on-line programs, and subsequently enjoy sovereign immunity when a North Carolina employee alleges and sues the university for sexual harassment.

Whether, under extraordinary circumstances, the trial court properly ordered certain state actors to transfer available state funds to remedy an ongoing constitutional violation.

Whether a condominium formed prior to the enactment of the North Carolina Condominium Act in 1985 has the power of sale for foreclosure pursuant to section 3-116 of that Act for nonpayment of an assessment that occurred after 1 October 1986.

Whether the trial court erred in admitting and considering witness reports of abuse, adjudicating a juvenile's dependency, and eliminating reunification efforts.