ARTICLES
Historic Elmwood: A Federal-Style Landmark at 16 N. Boylan Avenue
Set just off Hillsborough Street, Elmwood (16 N. Boylan Avenue) is one of Raleigh’s oldest surviving homes and a touchstone of North Carolina legal history. Built circa 1813 in the Federal style, the house was constructed for John Louis Taylor, the first Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, who is known to have…
How We Evaluate Post-Conviction Requests: Records, Deadlines, Remedies
What we look for in the file, why timing rules everything, and which remedies might apply. Step One: The Record Tells the Story Post-conviction work begins with documents, not opinions. We review the judgment, indictment, plea transcript (if any), trial transcripts, motions and rulings, jury instructions, exhibits, and sentencing materials. If there was an appeal,…
Post-Conviction Reality Check: Strong Claims vs. Strong Evidence
The difference between suspicion, new narratives, and admissible proof that can move a court. A Claim Isn’t a Case Post-conviction work lives and dies on proof, not passion. Courts don’t grant relief because a story sounds plausible or because the verdict feels wrong. They act when presented with admissible evidence that is material, credible, and…
Appeals Aren’t Retrials: When “No Reversible Error” Ends the Path
Strong feelings about a verdict aren’t enough to win an appeal. Appellate courts don’t re-try cases; they review the record to decide whether a legal error occurred and whether that error changed the outcome. If the court finds “no reversible error,” the conviction or sentence stands—even if the case felt unfair. What Appeals Actually Review…
Why We Take So Few Cases: Merit, Timing, and Impact
Clients come to us at the hardest moment in a criminal case-after conviction, when the margin for error is gone. At Blau | Hynson, we accept fewer than five percent of inquiries each year. That selectivity isn’t about scarcity for its own sake; it’s how we deliver meaningful results in appellate and post-conviction work. What…
What Do Appellate Courts Do? Understanding the Role of Review in Criminal Cases
When a criminal case doesn’t end at trial, it may move to a higher court for review. This next step occurs in what’s called an appellate court—a fundamentally different legal venue than a trial court. Unlike a trial court, which hears evidence and determines facts, appellate courts examine what happened at trial to determine if…
VIDEO ARTICLE: Grace Under Pressure – Oral Arguments Before the Supreme Court of NC
Watch Criminal Appeals Argued Before the North Carolina Supreme Court Behind every successful criminal appeal is not only months of written preparation, but also a single, unforgettable moment in the courtroom. In these featured videos, you’ll witness attorneys Dan Blau and Warren Hynson argue in separate matters before the North Carolina Supreme Court, a rare…
