State v. Carpenter

EDMUNDS, Justice.

On 21 April 2005, a jury convicted defendant Donnie Carpenter of one count of possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine. During the trial, the State introduced evidence pursuant to North Carolina Rule of Evidence 404(b) of defendant’s prior sale of cocaine and resulting felony conviction. Defendant contends this evidence was improperly admitted because his previous sale of cocaine, which occurred eight years before, lacked sufficient similarity with the crime for which he was being tried. Because we agree that the trial court’s findings failed to establish sufficient…