School of Government Podcasts: Recent Episodes
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
As the largest university-based local government training, advisory, and research organization in the United States, the School of Government serves more than 12,000 public officials each year. The mission of the School of Government is to improve the lives of North Carolinians by engaging in practical scholarship that helps public officials and citizens understand and improve state and local government. Our podcasts support this mission. The School is nonpartisan, policy-neutral and responsive.
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by North Carolina appellate courts on August 20 and 22, 2025. In State v. McCall, COA24-779 (N.C. Ct. App. Aug. 20, 2025), the Court of Appeals held that the State may use evidence of the defendant’s pre-arrest silence as substantive evidence [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on August 6, 2025. In State v. Jenkins, No. COA24-889 (N.C. Ct. App. Aug. 6, 2025), the Court of Appeals construed the some-other-provision-of-law clause of G.S. 14-34.10 to preclude sentencing a defendant on [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on July 2 and July 16, 2025. In State v. Upchurch, No. COA24-460 (N.C. Ct. App. July 2, 2025), the Court of Appeals found no error in the denial of the defendant’s motion [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on July 2, 2025. In State v. Gilbert, No. COA25-32 (N.C. Ct. App. July 2, 2025), the Court of Appeals held that it was improper for the prosecutor during closing argument to refer [...]
This episode covers recent cases from the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals on criminal contempt, drug recognition expert testimony, cannabis, and search and seizure.
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss two cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on June 18, 2025. In State v. Tate, COA24-450 (N.C. Ct. App. June 18, 2025), the Court of Appeals rejected the defendant’s Confrontation Clause challenge to the trial court’s admission of DNA results absent an opportunity [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on June 4, 2025. In State v. Arrington, COA24-688 (N.C. Ct. App. June 4, 2025), the Court of Appeals found no impropriety when the prosecutor told the jury that a State’s witness was [...]
This episode covers new state legislation affecting criminal law, including the new crime of exposing a child to a controlled substance and a new cap on the time in which state post-conviction relief can be sought, as well as a recent Confrontation Clause case from the North Carolina Court of [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Appellate Courts in May 2025. In State v. Chambers, No. 56PA24 (N.C. May 23, 2025), the Supreme Court held that substitution of a juror after deliberations have begun (per G.S. 15A-1215(a)) does not violate a defendant’s [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals in May 2025. In State v. Meadows, COA24-149 (N.C. Ct. App. May 7, 2025), the Court of Appeals awarded a new trial where defense counsel impliedly admitted the defendant’s guilt to the jury [...]
This episode covers recent developments in North Carolina regarding juror substitutions during deliberations, self-defense law, and constitutional challenges to NC’s firearm by felon law, as well as the recent en banc decision by the Fourth Circuit on geofencing warrants and more.
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on April 16, 2025. In State v. Peters, COA24-475, the Court of Appeals concluded that the trial court’s findings on the defendant’s motion to suppress did not resolve the question of whether the defendant [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Appellate Courts in March and April 2025. In State v. Fenner, 289PA23 (N.C. Mar. 21, 2025), the North Carolina Supreme Court held that the trial court complied with the colloquy required by G.S. 15A-1242 despite a [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on March 19, 2025. In State v. Windseth, COA24-718, the Court of Appeals found that still images from an ATM surveillance video were properly authenticated as a business record. In State v. Fuller, [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss two cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on March 5, 2025. In State v. Fearns, COA23-650, the Court of Appeals held that, when the defendant’s pretrial motion to dismiss was heard by one judge, who rendered a ruling from the bench [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on February 19, 2025. In State v. Nanes, COA24-487, the Court of Appeals upheld the constitutionality of G.S. 14-415.1, criminalizing possession of a firearm by a felon. In State v. Greenfield, COA23-597, the [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina appellate courts in January and February 2025. In State v. Lester, 293PA23-2, the North Carolina Supreme Court held the Confrontation Clause is not violated by the introduction of machine generated raw data, particularly call detail records. [...]
This episode discusses recent cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on cannabis, Second Amendment challenges, units of prosecution, and sentencing issues.
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases about digital evidence decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on December 31, 2024, and January 15, 2025. In State v. Hicks, COA20-665-2, the Court of Appeals held the defendant was entitled to a new trial based on the erroneous [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on December 31, 2024. In State v. Wilson, COA23-1031, the Court of Appeals awarded the defendant a new trial where the trial court instructed the jury on the theory of kidnapping that was not alleged [...]
This episode covers recent Second Amendment developments, cases addressing challenges to prejudicial and irrelevant evidence, and a North Carolina Supreme Court decision on the Confrontation Clause.
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on December 17, 2024. In State v. Reel, COA23-711, the Court of Appeals rejected the defendant’s challenge to a warrantless search of his home based on exigent circumstances. In State v. Carwile, COA23-885, [...]
This episode covers recent case law developments on plain feel doctrine, probable cause, and pill bottles, constructive possession, failure to store firearms to protect minors, and THC-O.
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on December 3, 2024. In State v. Clark, COA23-1133, the Court of Appeals applied Smith v. Arizona, 602 U.S. 779 (2024), and concluded the trial court erred by admitting the testimony of a [...]
Language Warning In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on November 19, 2024. In State v. Lancaster, COA24-152, the Court of Appeals found no error in the trial court’s holding the defendant in criminal contempt twice for swearing at the judge (the [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina appellate courts in October and November 2024. In State v. Burris, 198A23, the North Carolina Supreme Court affirmed an opinion of the North Carolina Court of Appeals that found no error in the denial of the [...]
This episode covers the new state crime of sexual extortion, amendments to our state exploitation and disclose of private images offenses, a cannabis update, geofencing warrants, and more.
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on October 15, 2024. In State v. Ellison, COA24-30, the Court of Appeals upheld a search warrant despite the inclusion of photographs depicting the wrong address. In State v. Hunt, COA23-890, the Court [...]
This episode covers recent Second Amendment developments from the U.S. Supreme Court and the Fourth Circuit, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court decision on substitute analysts, Smith v. Arizona.
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on October 1, 2024, all of them involving issues of search and seizure. In State v. Jackson, COA23-637, the Court of Appeals concluded the defendant’s consent to search his car was not involuntary [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss two cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on September 17, 2024. In State v. Evans, COA23-1160, the Court of Appeals addressed the defendant’s challenge to the State’s evidence of larceny by an employee, concluding there was sufficient evidence of an intent [...]
In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina Court of Appeals on September 3, 2024. In State v. Little, COA23-410, the Court of Appeals held the odor and smell of marijuana alone provide probable cause for a search. In State v. Pierce, No COA23-348, the Court of Appeals [...]
This podcast explores how the North Carolina Benchmarking Project is enabling data and decisions in municipalities. The Benchmarking Project allows elected leaders and managers to compare service data and performance trends with other participating units.
This episode covers the first successful Second Amendment challenge to a North Carolina criminal law, evidentiary challenges with marijuana prosecutions, and preservation of motions to suppress.
2023 legislation enacted by the NC General Assembly created a “Parents’ Bill of Rights”. Local public officials who are responsible for health care services for minors are affected by the legislation, although some parts of the bill simply codify language from already-existing laws. Learn what’s new and what’s not new [...]
Public officials across Guilford County decided Elder Abuse was not acceptable. A multi-disciplinary team made up of law enforcement officers, judicial officials, and agencies that work with elderly populations, is breaking down silos between agencies through a shared mission: to protect older adults from abuse and stop the perpetrators.
This episode discusses recent legislation, including the expansion of the public defender system in the state and felony pleas in district court, along with cases on search and seizure in the age of legal hemp, the Confrontation Clause, plea bargaining, and sentencing.
This episode highlights recent state search and seizure cases, new state criminal law legislation, prayers for judgment continued (“PJCs”), and more.
Pregnant women with substance use disorders face challenges in finding obstetrical care. The SUN project in Cabarrus County is a collaborative approach to cross-sector pre-natal care that treats the mother, the newborn, and the family with a comprehensive array of services steeped in compassion.
This episode covers the U.S. Supreme Court’s denial of review in State v. Diaz-Tomas regarding dismissal with leave, the Court’s grant of review in the substitute analyst case of Smith v. Arizona, the North Carolina Supreme Court’s decision in State v. Arthur on drug identification, and recent legislation in the [...]
Growing old is hard. For most of us, we whine and complain about our ailments and then move on to the next topic of the day. That’s not reality for many older adults. In this podcast, we explore the School of Government’s Adult Protection Network, and how elected officials can [...]
How does workplace culture affect worker recruitment and retention? This topic was identified by our faculty as one of five issues to watch in 2023. We talk about what workplace culture means in the public sector and why it should matter to local governing boards.
North Carolina elected officials described what it means to get derailed – what it looks like and what happens as a result. SOG faculty member Willow Jacobson and her colleagues discuss what we learned: who really suffers when a local elected official gets derailed?
This episode discusses recent legislation, including changes to satellite-based monitoring and a new offense of misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, as well as recent state cases on constructive possession, Harbison error, and expert testimony.
This episode discusses the filings at the U.S. Supreme Court in State v. Diaz-Tomas, monetary obligations in criminal cases, recent state legislation, as well as cases on courtroom closures and capacity to proceed.
Whether you own your home or rent it, the value of it affects how much you pay for it. The process for determining the true value of taxable property is called “appraisal”. Local elected officials are responsible for assuring that it’s accurate, fair, and equitable. How does that work?
Elected officials want economically vibrant communities and gentrification is affecting property values in many urban areas. Learn how changing housing markets can lead to equity issues in property appraisals and appeals.
This episode explores recent findings of the NC Institute of Medicine’s Task Force on the Future of the Public Health Workforce in NC.
In the final episode of our series about sex and labor trafficking, a survivor of familial trafficking shares her story of abuse, resilience, and success.
This episode covers the latest in criminal law, including artificial intelligence and the law, harm reduction laws, khat, the constitutionality of disorderly conducts laws, live-streaming the police, the exclusionary rule at probation, and more.
We encounter the survivors of human trafficking without realizing it. This episode is the second of three in a series about sex and labor trafficking. In it, we hear from a local government elected official who was trafficked as a teenager and learn about the factors that enabled her resilience.
When it comes to human trafficking, elected officials might think “that doesn’t happen here.” In this podcast, the UNC School of Government’s expert in human trafficking, Margaret Henderson, talks about her recently-published bulletin on one specific form of human trafficking, familial sex trafficking, which does in fact exist here in [...]
This episode covers recent state and national criminal law news, along with recent criminal decisions from the NC Supreme Court and the NC Court of Appeals. Topics include 911 call analysis, forfeiture of counsel, obstruction of justice, reinstatement of charges dismissed with leave, and cannabis.
This episode discusses recent criminal law news, along with a review of recent decisions by the North Carolina appellate division. Topics include the recent raid by the FBI of Mar-a-Lago, the trial penalty, and confrontation rights at trial and probation violation hearings.
This episode is a review of recent state criminal cases. It covers search and seizure law, First Amendment issues in criminal law, post-conviction DNA testing, the right to counsel, substitute expert analyst testimony and the Confrontation Clause, along with the first successful Batson violation in the state.
Episode one of NC Criminal Debrief focuses on recent developments in North Carolina criminal law, including recent appellate decisions, new legislation, and a new rule of general practice.
Faculty member Kirk Boone describes the basics of property revaluation, what it means for various stakeholders, and the role and responsibilities of local elected leaders during the revaluation process.
Faculty Members Kim Nelson and Carl Stenberg summarize the various forms of local government in North Carolina. These include the prevailing Manager/Council and County Manager forms, and the Mayor/Council form used by some smaller municipal jurisdictions. Listeners will gain a clear understanding of each form, and of the distinct leadership roles [...]
Faculty member Kirk Boone describes the basics of property revaluation, what it means for various stakeholders, and the role and responsibilities of local elected leaders during the revaluation process.
Faculty Members Kim Nelson and Carl Stenberg summarize the various forms of local government in North Carolina. These include the prevailing Manager/Council and County Manager forms, and the Mayor/Council form used by some smaller municipal jurisdictions. Listeners will gain a clear understanding of each form, and of the distinct leadership roles [...]
The words that describe the different kinds of mental disabilities can be confounding for laymen, and the terminology for the organizational structures are equally confusing. In this podcast Mark Botts, SOG faculty member who specializes in this field of law, helps make sense of the “alphabet soup” as he talks [...]
The words that describe the different kinds of mental disabilities can be confounding for laymen, and the terminology for the organizational structures are equally confusing. In this podcast Mark Botts, SOG faculty member who specializes in this field of law, helps make sense of the “alphabet soup” as he talks [...]
On this episode we are featuring Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison. This program provides college education, life skills, and reentry support to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men and women to help them make a positive impact on their own lives, their families, and communities. Program participation is associated [...]