Criminal law reform is advancing in North Carolina, fueled by the John Locke Foundation’s work to elevate the issue with state and local policymakers—and JLF’s work to engage with legal experts and allied organizations. 

Crimes exist in more than 140 chapters of North Carolina’s general statutes. Agencies, boards, and commissions have created other crimes by rule and scattered them across the Administrative Code. Countless additional crimes can be found in county, city, and town ordinances. Recent legislative victories on overhauling the complex and outdated code include a requirement that any new agency rule carrying criminal penalties be subjected to automatic legislative review. Another section requires study of activities deemed to be crimes, and recommendations for any rules or local laws that should be adopted statewide to promote uniformity.

With four state legislators joining as panelists, and other lawmakers in attendance, JLF and the Cato Institute co-hosted the “North Carolina Criminal Law Reform Summit” in Cary, North Carolina on Oct. 21, 2019. The event featured perspective from the lawmakers, the legal community, and law enforcement, as well as a discussion on ideas for reform. Mark Martin, Dean, Regent University School of Law and the former Chief Justice of North Carolina’s Supreme Court, delivered the keynote address. Learn more about summit speakers here, and more about recodification in North Carolina here.

JLF’s Legal Fellow Mike Schietzelt explained the issues surrounding the criminal code in an interview with Carolina Journal Radio. JLF’s Mitch Kokai also featured two summit panelists in the latest edition of JLF’s HeadLocke podcast—Jay Schweikart, policy analyst with the Cato Institute, and Jim Copland, senior fellow and director of legal policy with the Manhattan Institute.