NORTH CAROLINA REPORTS VOLUME 370 SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA 18 AUGUST 2017 6 APRIL 2018 RALEIGH 2018 CITE THIS VOLUME 370 N.C. TABLE OF CONTENTS Justices of the Supreme Court ........................... vii Superior Court Judges .................................. ix District Court Judges ................................... xiv Attorneys General ..................................... xxii District Attorneys ..................................... xxiv Public Defenders ...................................... xxv Table of Cases Reported ................................ xxvi Orders of the Court .................................... xxvii Petitions for Discretionary Review ....................... xxvii Opinions of the Supreme Court .......................... 1-697 Celebration Honoring African-American Justices ........... 701 Celebration Honoring Women Justices .................... 705 Justices of the Supreme Court, Historical List .............. 709 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Discipline and Disability of Attorneys ......... 711 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Certification of Paralegals ................... 713 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning the IOLTA Program ......................... 715 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning the Client Security Fund of the N.C. State Bar ........................................ 717 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Legal Specialization ........................ 719 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Legal Specialization ........................ 721 iii Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Legal Specialization ........................ 723 Amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the N.C. State Bar ........................................ 729 Amendments to the Rules Governing Admission to the Practice of Law in the State of N.C. ...................... 734 Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism ............ 758 Order Adopting Rule 31.1 of the N.C. Rules of Appellate Procedure .................................. 761 Order Amending Rules 28, 29, and 33.1. of the N.C. Rules of Appellate Procedure ................................ 763 Amendments to the Rules Concerning the Organization of the State Bar ......................................... 773 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Certification of Paralegals ................... 775 Amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the N.C. State Bar ........................................ 778 Amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the N.C. State Bar ........................................ 780 Amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct of the N.C. State Bar ........................................ 782 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning the Administration of the State Bar ........... 785 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning the Administration of the State Bar ........... 787 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning the Administration of the State Bar ........... 791 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Continuing Legal Education ................. 793 iv Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Continuing Legal Education ................. 798 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Legal Specialization ........................ 802 Amendments to the Rules and Regulations of the N.C. State Bar Concerning Legal Specialization ........................ 804 Headnote Index ....................................... 807 v This volume is printed on permanent, acid-free paper in compliance with the North Carolina General Statutes. vi THE SUPREME COURT OF NORTH CAROLINA Chief Justice MARK D. MARTIN Associate Justices PAUL MARTIN NEWBY CHERI BEASLEY ROBIN E. HUDSON SAMUEL J. ERVIN, IV BARBARA A. JACKSON MICHAEL R. MORGAN 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. ROBERT H. EDMUNDS, JR. Clerk J. BRYAN BOYD1 AMY L. FUNDERBURK2 Interim Clerk CHRISTIE S. CAMERON ROEDER3 Librarian THOMAS P. DAVIS 1 Resigned 13 October 2017. 2 Sworn in 1 March 2018. 3 Sworn in 16 October 2017. Resigned 28 February 2018. vii 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 viii 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 ix 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 x 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 xi 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