State v. Lawrence
365 N.C. 506
| N.C. | 2012Background
- Defendant joined a planned August 2008 robbery with out-of-state participants in North Carolina.
- The group stole items (zip ties, car) to aid the robbery and planned to ambush the victim the next morning.
- Defendant pulled out a semiautomatic handgun upon joining the plan.
- Trial court gave erroneous conspiracy-to-robbery-with-a-dangerous-weapon instructions omitting the “endangerment/threaten life” element.
- No trial objections were made; Court of Appeals held error was plain error and remanded for new sentencing/hearing.
- Supreme Court reverses Court of Appeals, clarifies plain-error standard, and holds no plain error occurred in this case.
Issues
| Issue | Plaintiff's Argument | Defendant's Argument | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard of plain error for unpreserved errors | Lawrence argued Blizzard standard applied | Lawrence argued a stricter standard should apply | Court adopts clarified plain error standard and finds no plain error |
| Whether erroneous conspiracy instruction constituted plain error | Lawrence contends error likely misled jury | Defense contends overwhelming evidence negates impact | No plain error; evidence overwhelming; trial error not prejudicial enough |
| Effect of unpreserved error on outcome | Error impacted jury verdict | Impact insufficient to change verdict | No probable impact; not reversible plain error |
| Harmlessness vs. structural/error-per-se distinctions | Distinguishes non-structural plain error | Argues for automatic reversal in some errors | Reaffirmed plain error approach; this is not structural error per se |
| Role of preservation rules in plain-error review | Adversarial process requires preservation | Unpreserved error can be reviewed for plain error | Emphasized preservation preference; no plain error here |
Key Cases Cited
- State v. Odom, 307 N.C. 655 (N.C. 1983) (origin of North Carolina plain error doctrine; four-factor federal analogy later refined)
- State v. Blizzard, 169 N.C.App. 285 (N.C. App. 2005) (illustrates plain-error standard formulation used in NC appellate review)
- State v. Gibbons, 303 N.C. 484 (N.C. 1981) (holding that mere possession of dangerous weapon is insufficient for robbery with a dangerous weapon)
- State v. Olano, 507 U.S. 725 (U.S. 1993) (four-factor test for federal plain error review; adopted as guiding framework)