Smith's Criminal Case Compendium

Smith's Criminal Case Compendium

About

This compendium includes significant criminal cases by the U.S. Supreme Court & N.C. appellate courts, Nov. 2008 – Present. Selected 4th Circuit cases also are included.

Jessica Smith prepared case summaries Nov. 2008-June 4, 2019; later summaries are prepared by other School staff.

Instructions

Navigate using the table of contents to the left or by using the search box below. Use quotations for an exact phrase search. A search for multiple terms without quotations functions as an “or” search. Not sure where to start? The 5 minute video tutorial offers a guided tour of main features – Launch Tutorial (opens in new tab).

E.g., 04/29/2025
E.g., 04/29/2025

In this Cabarrus County case, defendant appealed his convictions for uttering a forged instrument and obtaining property by false pretenses, arguing that the indictment was fatally defective, the evidence at trial fatally varied from the indictment, and the record of the hearing improperly...

State v. Phachoumphone, 257 N.C. App. 848 2018-02-06 review granted, 372 N.C. 72 (Sep 20 2018)

A defendant who fails to move to dismiss in the trial court on grounds of fatal variance waives the issue for purposes of appeal.

Fatal variance issues not raised at trial are waived on appeal. 

A defendant may not challenge the validity of an indictment in an appeal challenging revocation of probation. In such circumstances, challenging the validity of the original judgment is an impermissible collateral attack.

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