State v. May

EDMUNDS, Justice.

In this case, we consider the correct standard of review to apply when determining whether the trial court’s instructions to the jury were improperly coercive, violating Article I, Section 24 of the North Carolina Constitution. We conclude that because defendant failed to object to the pertinent instructions, any error was not preserved and is subject to plain error review. Applying this standard, we hold the trial court’s instructions did not result in an unconstitutional coercion of a deadlocked jury. Accordingly, we reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals.

Until early…