Title: State v. Seam

State: north-carolina

Issuer: North Carolina Supreme Court

Document:

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA 
No.82A14-2 
Filed 28 February 2020 
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 
v. 
SETHY TONY SEAM 
 
Appeal pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 7A-31 from a unanimous decision of the Court 
of Appeals affirming the judgment entered on 11 October 2017 by Judge Jeffrey K. 
Carpenter in Superior Court, Davidson County.  Heard in the Supreme Court on 7 
January 2020. 
 
Joshua H. Stein, Attorney General, by Kimberly N. Callahan, Assistant 
Attorney General, for the State. 
 
Glenn Gerding, Appellate Defender, by Kathryn L. VandenBerg, Assistant 
Appellate Defender, for defendant. 
 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
 
We affirm the decision of the Court of Appeals which leaves intact the sentence 
entered by the trial court.  Defendant’s arguments regarding his constitutional rights 
under the Eighth Amendment in which he asserts that he has no meaningful 
opportunity for parole are not ripe for a determination by this Court, because the time 
at which he is eligible to apply for parole has not yet arrived.  We recognize that the 
potential for parole constitutionally cannot be illusory for offenders sentenced to life 
STATE V. SEAM 
 
Opinion of the Court 
 
 
-2- 
with the possibility of parole.  Defendant is not precluded from raising his claims at 
a later date, in the event that said claims become ripe for resolution. 
AFFIRMED. 
Justices ERVIN and DAVIS did not participate in the consideration or 
resolution of this decision.