State v. Blalock

*99By assignments of error numbers 1, 3, 4, 7 and 14, the defendants contend that the trial judge, during the course of the trial, made remarks and asked questions of some of the witnesses which amounted to an expression of an opinion by the judge in violation of G.S. 1-180. In North Carolina it is improper for a trial judge to question a witness for the purpose of impeaching his testimony. State v. Perry, 231 N.C. 467, 57 S.E. 2d 774 (1950). However, it is a well settled rule in this State that a trial judge may ask questions of a witness in order to obtain a proper understanding and…