February 19, 2025

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Another Look at Confrontation at Probation Violation Hearings – North Carolina Criminal LawNorth Carolina Criminal Law

A new situation from the Supreme Court of North Carolina offers us a probability to revisit the challenge of a defendant’s confrontation legal rights at a probation violation listening to.

In State v. Jones, 2022-NCSC-103, ___ N.C. ___ (Aug. 19, 2022), a defendant on felony probation was alleged to have violated probation in many ways—absconding, some technical violations, and committing new legal offenses. The new prison offense violations stemmed from new firearm prices that had formerly resulted in a mistrial, but have been even so elevated as a violation of probation. At the probation violation listening to, the State sought to confess the transcript of a suppression hearing from the earlier felony trial, which bundled testimony from the arresting officer. The officer was geared up to testify all over again at the violation listening to, but was hardly ever actually identified as to do so. The decide presiding about the revocation listening to admitted the transcript and finally determined—based on the transcript and other evidence—that the defendant fully commited a prison offense and revoked his probation.

On attractiveness to the Court of Appeals, the defendant argued that the admission of the trial transcript at the probation revocation listening to deprived him of his suitable to confront the arresting officer. Under G.S. 15A-1345(e), the defendant contended, the trial court docket could only enable the officer’s testimony in without having confrontation based mostly on a discovering of great bring about. The Court of Appeals affirmed the revocation, concluding that no good result in acquiring was required when the defendant did not in fact seek out to confront and cross-analyze the officer at the revocation hearing.

In the Supreme Court docket, the defendant after once again argued that admission of the officer’s testimony via the transcript violated his confrontation legal rights. It was instantly crystal clear in the large court’s investigation that it was not likely to prolong the strong Sixth Amendment confrontation right relevant at a trial underneath Crawford v. Washington, 541 U.S. 36 (2004), to a probation violation listening to. Slip op. at ¶ 12 (“The Sixth Amendment, which ensures [certain protections] to the accused in all criminal prosecutions, does not implement to hearings on probation violations.” (quoting Condition v. Braswell, 283 N.C. 332 (1973)). As an alternative, the Court reaffirmed the rule that the confrontation legal rights applicable at a probation violation hearing are rooted in the Because of Procedure Clause, not the Sixth Amendment. Id. ¶ 14. That constitutional framework is built into G.S. 15A-1345(e), which suggests that defendants “may confront and cross-take a look at adverse witnesses unless the courtroom finds excellent lead to for not allowing for confrontation”—an exception that clearly would not use at trial.

But in Jones, the Court docket affirmed the Court of Appeals’ choice that the defendant did not assert his confrontation rights when he objected to the admission of the suppression listening to transcript at the revocation listening to. In its place, that objection was premised on the truth that the Point out was attempting to confirm new criminal offense violations that hadn’t resulted in a conviction. The Court docket viewed G.S. 15A-1345(e) as a “conditional statutory mandate,” necessitating a trial decide to make findings of great bring about for not permitting confrontation only when the defendant exclusively tries to initiate that confrontation. Wherever, as in Jones, the defendant never ever actually attempted to get in touch with the officer to testify, confrontation was not requested, at hence no conclusions had been expected. The Courtroom distinguished Condition v. Coltrane, 307 N.C. 511 (1983), in which the defendant was interrupted and revoked so speedily that she didn’t even have an possibility to inquire to confront any witnesses.

With Jones getting settled as it was, my guidance about confrontation at probation revocation hearings continues to be fairly similar to what I wrote around a ten years ago in the write-up offered here. For probationers and their lawyers, if you want to confront an adverse witness, be absolutely sure to provide it up at the violation listening to. Do not elevate it for the initially time on charm. Probation officers, if you are requested to testify dependent on a violation report well prepared by another officer, be prepared to make clear why the officer who ready the report is unavailable. That details may be essential if the defendant insists on confrontation and the decide is termed upon to assess irrespective of whether there is fantastic result in to commence without the need of it. Judges, we even now really don’t have substantially guidance on what amounts to a “good cause” for not making it possible for confrontation. At a minimum amount, you ought to assess the rationale for the witness’s absence and the style of details at issue. Some violations, such as a optimistic drug screens or new criminal convictions, may be proved just as perfectly as a result of documentary proof, see, e.g., United States v. Carrion, 457 Fed. Appx. 405 (5th Cir. 2012) (enough evidence of good lead to to deny cross-examination of pro witness whose qualifications and practical experience were being outlined in transcript of prior testimony), whilst other individuals, such as failing to report to the officer in a “reasonable manner,” would seem to be a lot more probably to demand live, 1st-hand testimony.

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