Appellate Rules

Parties must move for a directed verdict to preserve their right to request judgment notwithstanding the verdict (JNOV*) after an unfavorable verdict is returned.  Friday’s batch of Supreme Court opinions

Continue Reading Masterclass: North Carolina Supreme Court Explains Error Preservation in the Directed Verdict and JNOV Context.

In appeals, the general rule is that litigants cannot appeal an interlocutory order until a final judgment is entered.  But in North Carolina, a major statutory exception to the general

Continue Reading “So, What’s Going on Here?” North Carolina Supreme Court Clarifies Level of Detail Required to Demonstrate Right to Interlocutory Appeal Under the Substantial Right Doctrine

It’s not every day that the Court of Appeals spends almost 12 pages talking about the appellate rules, including why rules compliance is so important.  But that’s exactly what the

Continue Reading We’re Not Reading All That! The Court of Appeals Sanctions One Appellant While Warning Everyone Else Not to Use an Appendix to Violate the Court of Appeals Word-Count Limit

Morgan’s prior blog post on State v. McLean started the wheels turning on a topic I find fascinating:  oral notices of appeal.

Civil lawyers love written notices of appeal.  Have

Continue Reading The Lights Are Still On:  Oral Notices of Appeals in Criminal Cases

Big news out of the Court of Appeals for criminal practitioners. In State v. McLean, the Court of Appeals addressed a notice of appeal that was given orally the

Continue Reading At Trial:  Court of Appeals Defines Time Within Which Oral Notice of Appeal May Be Given in Criminal Cases

On Tuesday, the Fourth Circuit issued an important opinion in United States v. Canada, No. 22-4519, holding that 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) (the “felon in possession” statute) is facially

Continue Reading Fourth Circuit: Felon-in-Possession Statute Upheld under Bruen and Another ACCA Violent Felony Waves Goodbye