About a year ago, I wrote to let readers know that several chapters in the criminal law section of the Superior Court Judges’ Benchbook, a resource created and formerly edited by my colleague Jessica Smith, had been updated. I am writing now to let you know that several more have been added to that list. They include an updated Habeas Corpus chapter, which accounts for the North Carolina Supreme Court’s analysis in State v. Daw, ___ N.C. ___, 904 S.E.2d 765 (August 23, 2024) (holding that when an applicant for a writ of habeas corpus is detained by virtue of a final judgment the habeas court must summarily deny the application).
The chapters are written to guide the work of superior court judges, but are nevertheless useful for all criminal law practitioners. All of the criminal law chapters are available here, and the title entries for those that have been recently updated contain a parenthetical notation to that effect. The following chapters have been updated in 2024:
Right to Counsel During Criminal Prosecution
Pleas and Plea Negotiations
Jury Selection
Jury Review of Evidence
Jury Misconduct
Jury Argument: Content of Opening and Closing Statements
Jury Deadlock
Habeas Corpus, and
Motions for Appropriate Relief
Christopher Tyner, a research attorney for the School, updated these chapters and will continue to update other entries in the on-line manual. I have taken over editing duties, so if you have comments, suggestions, or concerns about the Benchbook, please reach out to me at denning@sog.unc.edu.
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