Appellate Court Opinions

Parent willfully left juvenile in placement outside the home for more than 12 months; termination of parental rights; parent failed to make reasonable progress in correcting conditions which led to juvenile's removal; substance abuse

Findings of fact, adjudication, neglected juvenile, dependent juvenile, reasonable efforts, N.C.G.S. § 7B-903(a3), TPR, termination of parental rights. 

permanency-planning order, juvenile, guardianship, abuse, neglect, dependency, Rule 58, future review hearings, affirm, clerical error, remand.

permanency planning; PWC; neglect; visitation; best interest.

permanency-planning order, subject-matter jurisdiction, visitation, abuse of discretion, abuse, neglect, dependency, substitute judge, disabled judge, affirmed. 

termination of parental rights, neglect, unchallenged findings of fact

termination of parental rights; TPR; dispositional phase; best interests of the child; findings of fact; competent evidence; abuse of discretion; written findings; permanent plan; adoption

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-901(c)(1)(f); Disposition order; Cease reunification efforts; Other acts; Ongoing collusion and deception.  

best interest of the child, TPR default judgment, statutory mandate, GAL adequate representation

summary judgment; contract implied in fact; adhesion contract.

motion to dismiss; sufficiency of evidence; admission of prior conviction; latent fingerprints; plain error.

PWC; Anders brief; no merit

Motiomn for appropriate relief; State v. Singleton, 386 N.C. 183 (2024); retroactivity.

attempt; rape; second-degree; jury instructions; prejudice; trial court; prejudicial error; lesser included offense

Indictment, non-jurisdictional defect, attempted first-degree murder, malice aforethought, prejudice, motion to dismiss, assault on a female, plain error, Rule 404(b), fatal variance.

subject matter jurisdiction; plain error; N.C.G.S. 15A-1340.22.

probation revocation; violation report; violation of probation condition; abuse of discretion

N.C.G.S. 14-415.1; constructive possession; petition for writ of certiorari; facial challenge; as-applied challenge.

voluntary manslaughter; ineffective assistance of counsel; motion to dismiss.

invited error, harmless error, confrontation clause, surrogate witness