News
Former NCDHHS secretary Cohen tapped for director of CDC
Former North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen is reportedly slated to become the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
News
Felon tied to COVID relief scam will get new federal prison sentence
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered a new prison sentence for a felon convicted of scamming the federal government out of $143,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. Appellate judges agreed that the trial judge in Byron Jones’ case made an error in setting the conditions for his eventual release from prison.
News
Bishop slams McCarthy and debt ceiling deal
Republican Congressman Dan Bishop was in the spotlight yesterday not only for his opposition to the debt ceiling agreement reached by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden but also for McCarthy remaining in his position.
News
Unaffiliated voters ask federal judge to reject Cooper’s motion to dismiss their suit
Unaffiliated voters challenging the partisan makeup of the N.C. State Board of Elections are asking a federal judge to reject the latest request from Gov. Roy Cooper. The governor filed paperwork earlier this month seeking dismissal of the unaffiliated voters’ lawsuit.
News
US Supreme Court to review NC sales tax, DWI disputes on June 15
The U.S. Supreme Court will review two cases next month with N.C. ties. Either case could return the Tar Heel State to national headlines when the nation’s highest court starts its next term in the fall. Justices have set June 15 as the date to consider whether to take up Quad Graphics v. N.C. Department of Revenue and Diaz-Tomas v. North Carolina.
News
Lindberg likely to face November retrial in bribery case before trial on other charges
A former top N.C. political donor will likely face a federal retrial on bribery charges before he heads to court in a separate case dealing with his insurance businesses. Greg Lindberg is scheduled to go to trial in July in connection with a 13-count federal indictment. Charges include wire fraud, money-laundering conspiracy, and false entries about insurance business finances. But Lindberg’s lawyers filed a motion Friday to delay the trial until no earlier than February 2024.
News
Legislative leaders bolster case for dismissing federal abortion pill lawsuit
Top N.C. legislative leaders are renewing their plea for a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit against the state’s abortion pill restrictions. Legislators’ attorneys responded Friday to arguments from lawsuit plaintiffs.
News
Federal Appeals Court allows NC taxpayer to sue IRS for refund, sets standard for ‘mailbox rule’
A business owner from North Carolina can move forward with his lawsuit seeking a 10-year-old federal tax refund. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected government objections Friday and ruled that the case of Stephen Pond v. United States can proceed. At the same time, the court ruled that Pond cannot rely on a “common-law mailbox rule” to boost his case.
News
21 states support Folwell, State Health Plan in transgender care case
Twenty-one state attorneys general have asked the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to accept a friend-of-the-court brief supporting N.C. State Treasurer Dale Folwell and the State Health Plan. Folwell and the health plan are defendants in a case involving transgender health care. Participating states include three of North Carolina’s four neighbors.
News
Federal Appeals Court questions computer search requirement for gun felon
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has tossed out a requirement that a felon from North Carolina should undergo warrantless computer searches after serving a prison sentence on gun charges. Appellate judges agreed Wednesday that the trial judge did not explain why defendant Roger Bryant Locklear should face the computer searches during his post-release supervision.
Opinion
Limits on power represent a feature, not a bug, of constitutional government
A current controversy in the nation's capital reminds this observer of North Carolina's latest Leandro education funding fight.
News
Farm Bureau details ‘sue-and-settle’ complaints about NC animal waste rules
The N.C. Farm Bureau Federation detailed concerns in a court filing Monday about a “sue-and-settle” scheme that could have influenced new state animal waste regulations. The N.C. Court of Appeals is scheduled to address the Farm Bureau’s complaint in the coming months.
