The N.C. Supreme Court denied another request for a new trial based on concerns about the use of race in jury selection.
Jeffrey Billman
Jeffrey Billman is a politics and law reporter for The Assembly. The former editor-in-chief of INDY in Durham, he holds a master's degree in public policy analysis from the University of Central Florida.
Posted inCourts & Justice
Custody Decision Delayed
Garnell Hill has never been accused of abusing or neglecting his son, but has spent years trying to get custody. On Thursday, a Durham judge punted an adoption decision til next year.
Posted inAll Access
In the Public Interest
The Assembly joins a lawsuit against the Raleigh Police Department seeking body-camera footage from a botched 2021 raid.
Posted inCourts & Justice
Presumption of Guilt
Garnell Hill has never been accused of abuse or neglect. But DSS has kept his son in foster care for more than five years.
Posted inCourts & Justice
Best Interest of the Child
A three-part investigation from The Assembly and WBTV in Charlotte looks at a child welfare system that wields enormous power with little accountability.
Posted inAll Access
A No-Win Scenario
After Jatoia Potts failed to explain her child’s injuries, she was swept into a child welfare system that she wasn’t prepared to handle.
Posted inCourts & Justice
No-Win Scenario
Jatoia Potts lost her children because she couldn’t explain her baby’s injuries. She never stood a chance against the state’s child welfare system.
Posted inAll Access
Power and Politics In Columbus County
Dozens have been subpoenaed in a wide-ranging federal investigation into abuses of power at the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office.
Posted inCourts & Justice
The Poverty Trap
The first of a 3-part series on the child welfare system looks at the case of a Durham mother who fled an abusive partner, only to have her children taken.
Posted inAll Access
An 8-year, International Murder Case Finally Ends
The eight-year murder case stemming from the brutal death of Irish native Jason Corbett ended last week in Lexington.