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Rule 404(b): Evidence of Other Crimes, Wrongs, or Acts

This section discusses Evidence Rule 404(b) and evidence of prior bad acts, crimes, and wrongs.
Keywords: prior bad acts, bare fact of conviction, Wilkerson rule

Rule 609: Impeachment by Evidence of Conviction of a Crime

This section discusses North Carolina Evidence Rule 609 and impeachment with evidence of conviction of a crime.
Keywords: impeachment

Pleas and Plea Discussions

This section discusses the admissibility of evidence regarding pleas and plea discussions.
Keywords: Evidence Rule 410, G.S. 15A-1025, guilty pleas, no contest pleas

Refreshed Recollection

This section discusses Evidence Rule 612 and refreshed recollection.
Keywords: present recollection refreshed, past recollection recorded

Sexual Assault Cases

This section discusses the Rape Shield Rule and the admissibility under Rule 404(b) of the defendant’s prior sexual misconduct.
Keywords: Evidence Rule 412, sexual history

Criminal Cases Involving Child Victims and Child Witnesses

This section discusses evidence issues that arise in cases involving child witnesses and child victims and covers, among other things, competency, oath or affirmation, examination of a child witness, Crawford issues, hearsay issues, and opinion testimony in child victim cases.
Keywords: anatomical dolls, confrontation, excited utterance, for purpose of medical diagnosis and treatment, Hinnant test, profile evidence, syndrome testimony

Guide to Crawford & the Confrontation Clause

This section discusses the confrontation clause analysis under Crawford v. Washington.
Keywords: Melendez-Diaz, Giles, Davis, Bullcoming, Williams, Whorton, testimonial, non-testimonial, nontestimonial, notice and demand, Sixth Amendment, cross-examination

The Bruton Rule: Joint Trials & Codefendants' Confessions (updated April 2025)

This section discusses Bruton v. United States and the admissibility of a codefendant’s confession in a joint trial.
Keywords: confrontation clause, joint trial of codefendants, redaction, redacted confession, Gray v. Maryland

Closing Arguments in Civil Trials

This paper outlines the allowable number and length of closing arguments in civil trials, and it addresses the proper scope of a closing and the court’s duty to remedy impermissible arguments.
Keywords:

Impeachment

This section discusses impeachment.Impeachment refers to all methods of undermining a witness’s credibility so that the jury gives less weight to the witness’s testimony.
Keywords: prior inconsistent statement, bias, extrinsic evidence, specific contradiction, defendant’s silence, subterfuge, cross-examination