A former Wake County prosecutor says she was sexually assaulted by a fellow prosecutor and disclosed the incident to her boss, District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, who took no action. Five employment lawyers tell The Assembly that federal law required an investigation.
Jeffrey Billman
Posted inCriminal Justice
Lorrin Freeman’s Balancing Act
Wake County’s district attorney has taken the middle road during her two terms as one of North Carolina’s most powerful prosecutors. As a contested primary approaches and progressives criticize her cautious incrementalism, a verdict from voters awaits.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Bail Reform and the Criminalization of Poverty
As Wake County considers new pretrial release guidelines, low-income and mentally ill people are being locked up.
Posted inCriminal Justice
The Evolution of Damon Chetson
Wake’s would-be progressive reformer started out at a Koch-funded think tank.
Posted inCriminal Justice
What Freeman’s Second Chances Look Like
Critics say the Wake County District Attorney’s programs are less than meets the eye.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Police Reform Finds Its Backlash
Durham was transforming the police long before ‘Defund’ became a national discussion. But after an electoral shift in the deep blue city, the future of an aggressive push on policing alternatives is uncertain—and shootings continue.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Police Informants, Unchecked
Last month, prosecutors indicted a Raleigh police informant for fabricating drug trafficking cases. His story raises questions about how the police department manages its confidential informants, and why its officers have escaped accountability.
Posted inPolitics
Mark Robinson’s Super-Secret Indoctrination Task Force
The lieutenant governor made waves when he announced a new effort to investigate indoctrination in the state’s schools. Multiple experts say his secretive approach breaks state law.
Posted inPolitics
The Progressive Fight for Durham’s Soul
Last year, Durham’s county manager accused a commissioner of racism. Last week, commissioners ousted him. This is the inside story of how North Carolina’s most progressive county is tearing itself apart.
Posted inPolitics
A Bottle Too Far
North Carolina stands out for its stringent liquor laws and sprawling control bureaucracy. That rigidity is now crashing headlong into a growing array of outspoken entrepreneurs, intent on exposing the system’s absurdities.