Justia North Carolina Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Defendant Bryan Christopher Bell was convicted of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and burning of personal property. He was sentenced to death for the murder conviction, and received consecutive prison terms for the other charges. Bell filed a post-conviction motion for appropriate relief, claiming that the prosecution engaged in gender-based discrimination during jury selection, violating J.E.B. v. Alabama ex rel. T.B.The Superior Court of Onslow County denied Bell's motion, finding that his J.E.B. claim was not preserved for appellate review and was procedurally barred under N.C.G.S. § 15A-1419. Bell then petitioned the Supreme Court of North Carolina for a writ of certiorari, which was granted to review the procedural aspects of his claim.The Supreme Court of North Carolina held that Bell failed to preserve his J.E.B. claim because he did not raise a gender-based objection during jury selection or on direct appeal. The court also found that the claim was procedurally barred, as Bell could have raised it on direct appeal but did not. The court concluded that the Butler affidavit, which Bell relied on to support his claim, did not provide new evidence that could not have been discovered through reasonable diligence at the time of his initial appeal.The court affirmed the Superior Court's order denying Bell's motion for appropriate relief, emphasizing the importance of preserving claims for appellate review and adhering to procedural requirements. The court did not find sufficient grounds to overcome the procedural bar, as Bell did not demonstrate good cause or actual prejudice. View "State v. Bell" on Justia Law

The defendant, a seventeen-year-old, was convicted of the abduction and murder of eighty-nine-year-old Elleze Kennedy. Along with his co-defendants, the defendant followed Ms. Kennedy home, assaulted her, and placed her in the trunk of her car. They later set the car on fire, resulting in Ms. Kennedy's death from carbon monoxide poisoning. The defendant was sentenced to life in prison without parole.The Superior Court of Onslow County initially sentenced the defendant to life without parole. The Court of Appeals upheld this sentence, finding no error. The defendant then filed a motion for appropriate relief, arguing that his sentence was unconstitutional under Miller v. Alabama, which requires consideration of a juvenile's age and potential for rehabilitation before imposing a life without parole sentence. The Superior Court held a resentencing hearing and reaffirmed the life without parole sentence, considering the Miller factors.The Supreme Court of North Carolina reviewed the case. The court held that the defendant's J.E.B. claim, alleging gender bias in jury selection, was procedurally barred because it was not raised at trial or on direct appeal. The court also affirmed the lower court's decision to sentence the defendant to life without parole, finding that the sentencing court properly considered the Miller factors, including the defendant's age, immaturity, ability to appreciate risks, prior record, mental health, and potential for rehabilitation. The court concluded that the sentencing court did not abuse its discretion in weighing these factors and that the sentence did not violate the Eighth Amendment. The decision of the Court of Appeals was affirmed. View "State v. Sims" on Justia Law

In June 2015, Appalachian Materials submitted an application to the Ashe County Director of Planning for a permit to build an asphalt plant under the Polluting Industries Development Ordinance (PID Ordinance). The application included aerial images, topographical maps, a marked floorplan, and a pending state air quality permit application. The Planning Director initially indicated the application met the ordinance's requirements but could not issue a permit until the state permit was received. Public opposition led to a temporary moratorium on polluting industries in October 2015. Appalachian Materials received the state permit in February 2016, but the Planning Director denied the application in April 2016, citing proximity to commercial and residential buildings and other issues.The Ashe County Planning Board reversed the Planning Director's decision, finding the application was complete and met the PID Ordinance requirements. The Board determined the mobile shed and barn near the proposed site were not commercial buildings and that there were no material misrepresentations in the application. The superior court affirmed the Board's decision.The North Carolina Court of Appeals reversed the Board's decision, holding the application was not complete until the state permit was received, thus falling under the moratorium. The court also found the mobile shed and barn were commercial buildings, and the application did not meet the setback requirements.The Supreme Court of North Carolina reversed the Court of Appeals, holding the application was complete when initially submitted in June 2015, triggering the Permit Choice statutes. The court found the mobile shed and barn were not commercial buildings under the PID Ordinance and upheld the Board's determination that there were no material misrepresentations. The court directed the Board to issue the permit under the PID Ordinance. View "Ashe County v. Ashe Cnty. Plan. Bd" on Justia Law

In 2021, Kaylore Fenner kidnapped, assaulted, and raped his mother. He was charged with multiple serious offenses, including forcible rape, kidnapping, robbery, and breaking or entering to terrorize and injure. Before trial, Fenner requested to represent himself. The trial court informed him that he faced 75 to 175 years in prison, a miscalculation. After being found guilty, Fenner was sentenced to 121 to 178 years in prison. Fenner appealed, arguing that the trial court erred by miscalculating the range of possible punishments.The Court of Appeals affirmed the trial court's decision, holding that Fenner was aware he was facing a life sentence. The court reasoned that the miscalculation did not affect the outcome because both the miscalculated and actual sentences were tantamount to life imprisonment.The Supreme Court of North Carolina reviewed the case. The court agreed with the Court of Appeals that the trial court complied with N.C.G.S. § 15A-1242, as the miscalculated range and the actual range were both equivalent to the remainder of Fenner's life. The court emphasized that the upper limit of any criminal defendant's period of incarceration is their natural life. Therefore, the trial court's miscalculation did not violate the statute, as it accurately conveyed that Fenner could spend the rest of his life in prison.The Supreme Court of North Carolina modified and affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals, holding that the trial court's colloquy with Fenner complied with N.C.G.S. § 15A-1242, despite the numerical inaccuracy in the range of possible punishments. The court also addressed and dismissed additional arguments raised by Fenner. View "State v. Fenner" on Justia Law

Plaintiff Vanguard Pai Lung, LLC, a manufacturer and distributor of high-speed circular knitting machines, sued its former president and CEO, William Moody, and his associated entities, Nova Trading USA, Inc., and Nova Wingate Holdings, LLC. The lawsuit stemmed from an investigation by Pai Lung Machinery Mill Co. Ltd., which owns a majority interest in Vanguard Pai Lung, revealing alleged fraud and embezzlement by Moody. Plaintiffs brought sixteen claims, including fraud, conversion, embezzlement, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and unjust enrichment. Defendants counterclaimed with twelve claims primarily based on alleged breaches of contract.The Superior Court of Mecklenburg County, designated as a mandatory complex business case, heard the case. After a jury found in favor of the plaintiffs on several claims, including fraud and conversion, defendants filed post-trial motions, including a motion for judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV). The business court ruled that several issues raised in the JNOV motion were not preserved because they were not included in the directed verdict motion. The court also denied defendants' other post-trial motions on the merits.The Supreme Court of North Carolina reviewed the case. The court affirmed the business court's decision, endorsing the rule that to preserve an issue for a JNOV motion under Rule 50(b), the movant must have timely moved for a directed verdict on that same issue. The court agreed that the business court correctly determined that several of defendants' arguments were not preserved and properly rejected the remaining post-trial arguments on the merits. The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment and post-trial orders of the business court. View "Vanguard Pai Lung, LLC v. Moody" on Justia Law

The defendant, a high school senior, killed his parents one month before his eighteenth birthday. After being convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. The defendant argued that his sentencing violated the Eighth Amendment, North Carolina’s Miller-fix statute, and the North Carolina Constitution because his crimes did not reflect permanent incorrigibility.The Superior Court of Watauga County conducted a sentencing hearing and considered various mitigating factors, including the defendant's age, immaturity, intellectual capacity, mental health, and familial pressures. The court found that the defendant's actions demonstrated an understanding of the consequences and a deliberate attempt to cover up the crimes. The court concluded that the defendant's crimes reflected irreparable corruption and permanent incorrigibility, justifying the life sentences without parole. The Court of Appeals affirmed the sentencing court's decision, finding no error.The Supreme Court of North Carolina reviewed the case and affirmed the Court of Appeals' decision. The court held that the sentencing court properly considered the mitigating factors and exercised its discretion in sentencing the defendant. The court emphasized that the Eighth Amendment does not require a finding of permanent incorrigibility but mandates that the sentencing court consider the defendant's youth and attendant characteristics. The court concluded that the sentencing court's decision was not an abuse of discretion and upheld the life sentences without parole. View "State v. Borlase" on Justia Law

The case involves the dissolution of a marriage between Carol Sperry Smith and Dale Preston Smith. The key issue is the classification of a tract of land located at 4080 Racetrack Road in Grifton, North Carolina. Dale Preston Smith purchased this property before the marriage. The parties signed stipulations in January 2019, designating the property as marital property. However, Dale later filed a motion to set aside these stipulations, claiming the property was his separate property.In the District Court of Pitt County, the trial court approved a pretrial order that listed Racetrack Road as a disputed property, with Carol claiming it was a mixed asset and Dale asserting it was his separate property. The trial court classified the property as Dale's separate property and distributed it to him. Carol appealed, arguing that the stipulations were binding since the trial court never ruled on Dale's motion to set them aside.The Court of Appeals, in a divided decision, affirmed the trial court's order. The majority held that the pretrial order showed the parties did not agree that Racetrack Road was marital property. The dissenting judge argued that the trial court's failure to rule on the motion to set aside the stipulations meant the stipulations remained binding.The Supreme Court of North Carolina reviewed the case. The court held that Carol invited any error by agreeing to proceed with the equitable distribution hearing without a direct ruling on the motion to set aside the stipulations. Therefore, she could not use this as a basis for a new hearing. The court affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeals, though it did not adopt its reasoning. The invited error doctrine barred Carol from obtaining a new equitable distribution hearing. View "Smith v. Smith" on Justia Law

A fourteen-year-old boy, Tanner Smith, was vaccinated against COVID-19 at his school clinic without his or his mother Emily Happel's consent. The school clinic, operated in partnership with Old North State Medical Society (ONSMS), administered the vaccine despite lacking the required parental consent. Plaintiffs, Smith and Happel, sued the Guilford County Board of Education and ONSMS for battery and violations of their state constitutional rights.The Superior Court of Guilford County dismissed the case, agreeing with the defendants that the federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act preempted the plaintiffs' state law claims, granting them immunity. The Court of Appeals affirmed this decision, holding that the PREP Act's broad immunity shielded the defendants from liability for all of the plaintiffs' claims.The Supreme Court of North Carolina reviewed the case and held that the PREP Act's immunity only covers tort injuries and does not bar state constitutional claims. The court concluded that the PREP Act does not preempt claims brought under the state constitution, specifically those related to the right to control a child's upbringing and the right to bodily integrity. The court affirmed the dismissal of the battery claim but reversed the dismissal of the state constitutional claims and remanded the case for further proceedings. View "Happel v. Guilford Cnty. Bd. of Education" on Justia Law

During the Fall 2020 semester, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, North Carolina State University (NCSU) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) transitioned to online classes and closed their campuses. Students, including the plaintiffs, sought refunds for mandatory fees and parking permits paid for services and facilities they could no longer access. The Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina moved to dismiss the lawsuit, citing sovereign immunity, which generally protects the State and its agencies from being sued.The Superior Court of Wake County denied the motion to dismiss the breach of contract claims but dismissed the constitutional claims. The Court of Appeals affirmed this decision, holding that sovereign immunity does not apply to valid contract claims against the State. The appellate court found that the plaintiffs had sufficiently alleged that implied contracts existed between them and the universities for the provision of services and facilities funded by the fees.The Supreme Court of North Carolina reviewed the case and agreed with the Court of Appeals that sovereign immunity does not bar the breach of contract claims at this stage. However, the Supreme Court clarified that the plaintiffs had alleged the existence of express contracts, not implied ones. The court held that the amended complaint sufficiently alleged that the universities made offers to provide specific services and facilities in exchange for mandatory fees, which the plaintiffs accepted by paying those fees. Therefore, the court modified and affirmed the judgment of the Court of Appeals, allowing the breach of contract claims to proceed. View "Lannan v. Bd. of Governors of the Univ. of N.C" on Justia Law

Two brothers, Jim and Charles, manage two LLCs, JHD Properties, LLC, and Berry Hill Properties, LLC, which were established by their father as part of his estate plan. Each brother, along with two other siblings, holds a 25% equity interest in the LLCs through individual trusts. The LLCs own approximately sixty-eight acres of undeveloped land in Wake County, North Carolina. The operating agreements of the LLCs require unanimous agreement between the two managers for any binding action. Since 2018, Jim and Charles have been unable to agree on the use or sale of the property, leading to a managerial deadlock.The plaintiffs, James H.Q. Davis Trust and William R.Q. Davis Trust, filed an action seeking judicial dissolution of the LLCs, arguing that it had become impracticable to conduct the business of the LLCs due to the deadlock. The Business Court granted the motion to intervene by the Charles B.Q. Davis Trust and later denied the Charles Trust’s motion to dismiss. Both parties filed cross-motions for summary judgment. The Business Court granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, concluding that the deadlock made it impracticable to conduct the LLCs' business in conformance with the operating agreements.The Supreme Court of North Carolina reviewed the case and affirmed the Business Court’s decision. The Court held that judicial dissolution was appropriate because the managerial deadlock prevented the LLCs from conducting any economically useful activity and there was no mechanism in the operating agreements to break the deadlock. The Court concluded that it was not practicable for the managers to operate the LLCs in accordance with the operating agreements, thus affirming the grant of summary judgment for the plaintiffs. View "Davis Trust v. JHD Properties, LLC" on Justia Law