Court Opinion

ID: 9846744
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 03:47:46.938038+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:19:47.250074
License: Public Domain

Justice Carlton
concurring in result only.
I disapprove of section 11(1) of the majority opinion and consider it dictum. It is well-established in this jurisdiction that appellate courts will not pass on a constitutional question, even when properly presented, if there is some other ground on which the case may be disposed. E.g., State v. Blackwell, 246 N.C. 642, 99 S.E. 2d 867 (1957); State v. Jones, 242 N.C. 563, 89 S.E. 2d 129 (1955). Here, the majority has disposed of the appeal on the grounds of legislative intent. Any discussion about double jeopardy is wholly unnecessary to the disposition of this case and may come back to haunt this Court in the future.
Otherwise, I do concur in the result reached by the majority.