A judge in Harnett County threw out a first-degree murder conviction after testimony debunking the state’s conclusions.
Michael Hewlett
Michael Hewlett is a courts and law reporter for The Assembly. He was previously a legal affairs reporter at the Winston-Salem Journal and has won two Henry Lee Weathers Freedom of Information Awards.
Posted inCourts & Justice
The Racial Justice Act Goes Back To Court
A superior court judge will begin a hearing next week in a death row case that could affect other Racial Justice Act claims.
Posted inAll Access
Berger’s Back On Leandro
Justice Phil Berger Jr. will take part in Leandro deliberations—even though his father is one of the legislative intervenors.
Posted inCourts & Justice
A Matter of Intent
A judge weighs how to sentence dealers changed after deaths–was it an accident, or intentionally mixing coke with fentanyl?
Posted inAll Access
‘Outright Fabrications’
A superior court judge ruled prosecutors withheld favorable evidence in a child sexual abuse case, but ultimately upheld the conviction.
Posted inHigher Education
Next Dealer Up
As a federal judge anguishes about drug deaths on the state’s college campuses, UNC-Chapel Hill struggles with what comes next.
Posted inCourts & Justice
Prosecutorial Discretion
Satana Deberry became Durham’s DA on progressive promises. Her bid for attorney general tests how far that can take her.
Posted inAll Access
Courts Newsletter: A Supreme Challenge
Democrats face off in a primary for a seat on the state Supreme Court, a UN intervention, and more on courts.
Posted inAll Access
The Majority v. Anita Earls
A debate about politicization on the court, bar fights, and a looming lawsuit over a Christian heritage proclamation in Wilkes County.
Posted inCourts & Justice
The Majority v. Anita Earls
As one of two Democrats and the only Black justice on the state Supreme Court, Earls at the center of an ongoing debate about politicization.
