NORTH CAROLINA REPORTS VOLUME 369 SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA 19 AUGUST 2016 9 JUNE 2017 RALEIGH 2018 CITE THIS VOLUME 369 N.C. TABLE OF CONTENTS Justices of the Supreme Court ........................... vi Superior Court Judges .................................. vii District Court Judges ................................... xii Attorneys General ...................................... xx District Attorneys ...................................... xxii Public Defenders ....................................... xxiii Table of Cases Reported ................................ xxiv Orders of the Court ..................................... xxv Petitions for Discretionary Review. xxv Licensed Attorneys ..................................... xxxiv Opinions of the Supreme Court .......................... 1-760 Rules of Appellate Procedure ............................ 763 Investiture Ceremony of Justice Morgan ................... 887 Order Concerning the Client Security Fund of the N.C. State Bar ........................................ 895 Formal Advisory Opinion of the Judicial Standards Commission, 2016-01 .................................. 896 Formal Advisory Opinion of the Judicial Standards Commission, 2017-01 .................................. 898 Amendments to the Rules Concerning the Organization of the State Bar. 900 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Discipline and Disability of Attorneys ......... 902 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning the Board of Law Examiners ................. 931 iii Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning the Administrative Committee ................ 933 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Continuing Legal Education ................. 938 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Legal Specialization ......................... 942 Amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the N.C. State Bar ........................................ 949 Order Amending Rule 7 of the N.C. Rules of Appellate Procedure ................................... 955 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Judicial District Bars ........................ 959 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning the Discipline and Disability of Attorneys ...... 961 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning the Plan of Legal Specialization ............... 963 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Organizations Practicing Law ................ 965 Amendments to the N.C. State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct .................................. 968 Order Waiving Rule 2A, 2B, and 7B of the Rules Implementing Mediation in Matters Before the Clerk of Superior Court During Pilot Clerk Mediation Program ................... 977 Formal Advisory Opinion of the Judicial Standards Commission, 2017-02 .................................. 979 Headnote Index ........................................ 981 iv This volume is printed on permanent, acid-free paper in compliance with the North Carolina General Statutes. v THE SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA Chief Justice MARK D. MARTIN Associate Justices ROBERT H. EDMUNDS, JR.1 CHERI BEASLEY PAUL MARTIN NEWBY SAMUEL J. ERVIN, IV ROBIN E. HUDSON MICHAEL R. MORGAN2 BARBARA A. JACKSON Former Chief Justices RHODA B. BILLINGS JAMES G. EXUM, JR. BURLEY B. MITCHELL, JR. HENRY E. FRYE I. BEVERLY LAKE, JR. SARAH PARKER Former Justices ROBERT R. BROWNING ROBERT F. ORR J. PHIL CARLTON GEORGE L. WAINWRIGHT, JR. WILLIS P. WHICHARD EDWARD THOMAS BRADY JAMES A. WYNN, JR. PATRICIA TIMMONS-GOODSON FRANKLIN E. FREEMAN, JR. ROBERT N. HUNTER, JR. G. K. BUTTERFIELD, JR. Clerk J. BRYAN BOYD Librarian THOMAS P. DAVIS ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS Director MARION R. WARREN Assistant Director DAVID F. HOKE OFFICE OF APPELLATE DIVISION REPORTER HARRY JAMES HUTCHESON KIMBERLY WOODELL SIEREDZKI JENNIFER C. PETERSON 1 Term ended 31 December 2016. 2 Sworn in 1 January 2017. vi TRIAL JUDGES OF THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE SUPERIOR COURT DIVISION DISTRICT JUDGES ADDRESS First Division 1 JERRY R. TILLEtt Manteo J. CARLTON COLE Hertford 2 WAYLAND SERMONS Washington 3A MARVIN K. BLOUNT, III Greenville JEffERY B. FOSTER Greenville 6A ALMA L. HINTON Roanoke Rapids 6B CY A. GRANT, SR. Ahoskie 7A QUENTIN T. SUMNER Rocky Mount 7BC MILTON F. FITCH, JR. Wilson WALTER H. GODWIN, JR. Tarboro Second Division 3B BENJAMIN G. ALFORD New Bern JOHN E. NOBLES, JR. Morehead City 1 JOSHUA W. WILEY New Bern 2 4A W. DOUGLAS PARSONS Clinton 4B CHARLES H. HENRY Jacksonville 5 JAY D. HOCKENBURY Wilmington PHYLLIS M. GORHAM Wilmington 3 R. KENT HARRELL Burgaw 4 8A PAUL L. JONES Kinston 5 IMELDA J. PATE Kinston 6 8B ARNOLD O. JONES, III Fremont 7 WILLIAM W. BLAND Goldsboro Third Division 9 ROBERT H. HObgOOD Louisburg HENRY W. HIGHT, JR. Henderson 9A W. OSMOND SMITH, III Semora 8 10 DONALD W. STEPHENS Raleigh 9 HOWARD E. MANNING, JR. Raleigh 10 MICHAEL R. MORGAN Raleigh 11 PAUL C. GESSNER Raleigh 12 PAUL C. RIDGEWAY Raleigh G. BRYAN COLLINS, JR. Raleigh A. GRAHAM SHIRLEY Raleigh 13 REBECCA W. HOLT Raleigh 14 VINSTON M. ROZIER Raleigh 14 ORLANDO F. HUDSON, JR. Durham JAMES E. HARDIN, JR. Hillsborough vii DISTRICT JUDGES ADDRESS ELAINE M. O’NEAL Durham MICHAEL O’FOGHLUDHA Durham 15 15A WAYNE ABERNATHY Burlington 16 JAMES ROBERSON Burlington 17 D. THOMAS LAMBETH Burlington 15B CARL R. FOX Chapel Hill R. ALLEN BADDOUR Chapel Hill Fourth Division 11A C. WINSTON GILCHRIST Lillington 11B THOMAS H. LOCK Smithfield 12 JAMES F. AMMONS, JR. Fayetteville CLAIRE HILL Fayetteville GALE M. ADAMS Fayetteville MARY ANN TALLY Fayetteville 13A DOUGLAS B. SASSER Whiteville 13B OLA M. LEWIS Southport 16A RICHARD T. BROWN Laurinburg TANYA T. WALLACE Rockingham 16B ROBERT F. FLOYD, JR. Fairmont JAMES GREGORY BELL Lumberton 19D JAMES M. WEbb Southern Pines Fifth Division 17A EDWIN GRAVES WILSON, JR. Eden STANLEY L. ALLEN Sandy Ridge 18 17B A. MOSES MASSEY Mount Airy 19 ANDY CROMER King 20 ANGELA B. PUCKEtt Westfield 18 LINDSAY R. DAVIS, JR. Greensboro JOHN O. CRAIG, III High Point R. STUART ALBRIGHT Greensboro SUSAN BRAY Greensboro PATRICE A. HINNANT Greensboro 19B VANCE BRADFORD LONG Asheboro 21 L. TODD BURKE Winston-Salem DAVID L. HALL Winston-Salem ERIC C. MORGAN Kernersville RICHARD S. GOttLIEB Winston-Salem 23 MICHAEL DUNCAN Wilkesboro Sixth Division 19A MARTIN B. MCGEE Concord 19C ANNA MILLS WAGONER Salisbury 20A KEVIN M. BRIDGES Oakboro 20B CHRISTOPHER W. BRAgg Monroe JEffERY K. CARPENTER Wadesboro 22A JOSEPH CROSSWHITE Statesville JULIA LYNN GULLEtt Statesville viii DISTRICT JUDGES ADDRESS 22B MARK E. KLASS Lexington 21 THEODORE S. ROYSTER, JR. Lexington 22 LORI HAMILTON Mocksville Seventh Division 25A ROBERT C. ERVIN Morganton DANIEL A. KUEHNERT Morganton 25B NATHANIEL J. POOVEY Newton GREGORY R. HAYES Hickory 26 W. ROBERT BELL Charlotte 23 YVONNE MIMS EVANS Charlotte 24 LINWOOD O. FOUST Charlotte ERIC L. LEVINSON Charlotte HUGH LEWIS Charlotte LISA C. BELL Charlotte CARLA ARCHIE Charlotte 27A JESSE B. CALDWELL, III Gastonia ROBERT T. SUMNER Gastonia 27B FORREST DONALD BRIDGES Shelby W. TODD POMEROY Lincolnton Eighth Division 24 GARY GAVENUS Burnsville R. GREGORY HORNE Boone 28 ALAN Z. THORNBURG Asheville MARVIN POPE Asheville 29A J. THOMAS DAVIS Forest City 29B MARK E. POWELL Hendersonville 30A WILLIAM H. COWARD Highlands 30B BRADLEY B. LEttS Hazelwood SPECIAL JUDGES LOUIS A. BLEDSOE, III Charlotte 25 ADAM CONRAD Charlotte RICHARD L. DOUGHTON Sparta 26 JAMES L. GALE Greensboro BEECHER GRAY Durham 27 ANDREW HEATH Raleigh 28 KENDRA D. HILL Raleigh JEffREY P. HUNT Brevard GREGORY P. MCGUIRE Raleigh MICHAEL L. ROBINSON Winston-Salem CASEY M. VISER Charlotte EBERN T. WATSON, III Wilmington 29 REUBEN F. YOUNG Raleigh ix JUDGES ADDRESS EMERGENCY JUDGES SHARON T. BARREtt Asheville BEVERLY T. BEAL Lenoir MICHAEL E. BEALE Rockingham 30 RICHARD D. BONER Charlotte C. PRESTON CORNELIUS Mooresville 31 W. RUSSELL DUKE Greenville 32 JAMES L. GALE Greensboro THOMAS D. HAIgwOOD Greenville A. ROBINSON HASSELL Greensboro CLARENCE E. HORTON, JR. Kannapolis ROBERT F. JOHNSON Burlington 33 PAUL L. JONES Kinston TIMOTHY S. KINCAID Newton 34 CHARLES C. LAMM, JR. Terrell 35 RUSSELL J. LANIER, JR. Wallace W. DAVID LEE Monroe 36 A. MOSES MASSEY Mount Airy JERRY CASH MARTIN Pilot Mountain JAMES W. MORGAN Shelby CALVIN MURPHY Charlotte J. RICHARD PARKER Manteo WILLIAM R. PIttMAN Raleigh JOHN W. SMITH Raleigh RONALD E. SPIVEY Winston-Salem RONALD L. STEPHENS Durham KENNETH C. TITUS Durham 37 GARY E. TRAWICK, JR. Burgaw JOSEPH E. TURNER Greensboro WILLIAM Z. WOOD, JR. Lewisville RETIRED/RECALLED JUDGES W. DOUGLAS ALBRIGHT Greensboro 38 J. B. ALLEN, JR. Burlington HENRY V. BARNEttE, JR. Raleigh ANTHONY M. BRANNON Durham FRANK R. BROWN Tarboro STAffORD G. BULLOCK Raleigh H. WILLIAM CONSTANGY Charlotte B. CRAIG ELLIS Laurinburg LARRY G. FORD Salisbury 39 MARVIN K. GRAY Charlotte ZORO J. GUICE, JR. Hendersonville 40 KNOX V. JENKINS Four Oaks 41 JOHN R. JOLLY, JR. Raleigh x JUDGES ADDRESS ROBERT D. LEWIS Asheville HOWARD E. MANNING, JR. Raleigh JULIUS A. ROUSSEAU, JR. Wilkesboro THOMAS W. SEAY Spencer W. ERVIN SPAINHOUR Concord JAMES C. SPENCER Burlington 42 JACK A. THOMPSON Fayetteville RALPH A. WALKER, JR. Raleigh 1 Sworn in 1 January 2017. 2 Deceased 24 September 2017. 3 Sworn in 11 December 2017. 4 Retired on 31 December 2016. 5 Sworn in 1 January 2017. 6 Resigned 31 December 2016. 7 Sworn in 1 January 2017. 8