In this episode, Hyde and Holbrook discuss three cases decided by the North Carolina appellate courts in August 2026. In State v. Williams, No. 21PA25 (N.C. Aug. 14, 2026), the North Carolina Supreme Court held that the occupant of a motor vehicle does not lose his protected status under the castle doctrine statute when he is forced out of the vehicle by the attack of an unlawful intruder. In State v. Farook, No. 457PA20-2 (N.C. Aug. 14, 2026), the North Carolina Supreme Court limited State v. Harbison to cases in which the defendant is wholly surprised by defense counsel's concession of guilt. And in State v. Lofton, COA25-58 (N.C. Ct. App. Aug. 5, 2026), the Court of Appeals concluded that a prosecutor has no authority to dismiss a charge after the jury returned a verdict of guilty and the charge resulted in a conviction.
