State v. Bethea

EAGLES, Judge.

I

Defendant first argues on appeal that the trial court’s charge to the jury misstated the law, contained expressions of opinion and was so disorganized and confusing that the defendant should be granted a new trial. We disagree.

We note at the outset that the learned trial judge did not follow the North Carolina Pattern Jury Instructions, substituting his own instructions instead. While the instructions to the jury, taken as a whole, correctly conveyed the essence of the case to the jury, the preferred method is the approved guidelines of the North Carolina Pattern Jury…