State v. Hopkins

COPELAND, Justice.

For the reasons stated below, we find no error in defendants’ trial.

In their first assignment of error, defendants claim the trial court erred in allowing the State to use leading questions during the direct examination of Howard Miller, the main prosecuting witness.

The general rule in North Carolina is that a party cannot use leading questions during direct examination of his own witness. See, e.g., State v. Greene, 285 N.C. 482, 206 S.E. 2d 229 (1974). This rule is subject to various exceptions, one of which is if the witness “has difficulty in understanding the question…