Courts & the Law
Trans patients and their doctors struggle with confusion, fear under healthcare bans
[This story is part of ongoing work on LGBTQ+ healthcare in North Carolina, written by Joe Killian. It was conceived and written through a partnership between NC Newsline and Qnotes Carolinas. Due to concerns regarding threats of violence, Newsline agreed to identify some sources in this story by their first names only.] When Sage, a […]
Abortion rights advocates say consequences dire if U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear pill case
More than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court decided states could set their own abortion laws, including bans, the nation’s highest court now could cut off abortion access in states where abortion is still legal. The Supreme Court began its new term this week and has yet to announce whether it will hear Alliance […]
UNC leaders, faculty and political leaders react to U.S. Supreme Court decision on admissions
Reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision against race in admissions at UNC-Chapel Hill and Harvard University was swift Thursday, with opponents decrying a fundamental change in higher education as UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC System officials said they would follow the ruling. “We are closely reviewing today’s decision and will follow the law,” said […]
Partisan budget proposal is a five-alarm fire for North Carolina’s courts
Our democracy here in North Carolina is a project 234 years in the making. The drafters of our state constitution were the architects who laid down the foundations and we, the voters, took it from there. It’s been an imperfect process, to be sure, but over time we managed to build a stronger, more inclusive […]
U.S. Supreme Court to hear N.J. fishing case that could limit federal agency powers
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case from New Jersey commercial fishermen next term that could significantly constrain federal agencies’ rulemaking, the court said Monday. The order announcing the court would hear the case, an appeal from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals initially brought by New Jersey fishing operations that objected to paying […]
“No right way to tear down oppressive systems”: the risks of toppling Confederate monuments
[Note: This report has been updated to include a statement from Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.] Jeremy Collins didn’t know where he was going to get one, but he needed a crane. It was June 2020, a month after George Floyd’s murder. Collins’s boss, Gov. Roy Cooper, had just ordered the removal of three Confederate monuments […]
NC CRED: The harms inflicted by Confederate monuments — and why they should be toppled
Every October, Ronda Taylor-Bullock’s hometown would come alive on Goldston’s Old Fashion Day. Vendors would line the streets of the small rural community, selling wares and performing music. But there was one booth that wasn’t for her, a Black child. It made her feel unsafe, even though no adults had explicitly told her to stay away. […]
UNC-Chapel Hill students plan protest over banning of law student from campus
Students at UNC-Chapel Hill are planning a walk-out Thursday in protest of the university’s banning a law student from campus after their arrest related to a protest last month in Atlanta, Georgia. Jamie Marsicano, a second-year student at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Law, was one of 23 people arrested and charged with domestic terrorism after […]
Trump indicted by Manhattan grand jury, according to reports
WASHINGTON — A New York criminal grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed following news reports. A former president has never been indicted before. Trump is also a Republican candidate in the 2024 race for the presidency. “This evening we contacted Mr. Trump’s attorney to coordinate his surrender […]
New public defender offices planned in the House budget, but no intent to expand public defense statewide
The House budget unveiled by Republican leaders Wednesday night would provide funding to establish new public defender offices serving eight counties across North Carolina, an infusion of funds to ensure poor people charged with crimes are adequately represented in court. But despite that there are such offices in less than half of the state’s 100 […]
Upcoming symposium to focus on the continual harm inflicted by Confederate monuments
The North Carolina Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System will host a symposium next month focusing on the harms posed by confederate monuments. The all-day event will be held at Shaw University on April 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Click here to register. “Confederate monuments are not simply […]
Bill would fund two jail inspectors to examine county jails across North Carolina
A bill before the legislature would pay for two full-time jail inspectors to examine county detention facilities across the state. House Bill 380 would send $211,502 in recurring funds to the Department of Health and Human Services so the state could hire two new jail inspectors. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg), references the […]