RALEIGH -- The N.C. Supreme Court did not issue an opinion Thursday in the case that would determine whether inmates sentenced to life in the 1970s are due their release.
The court typically issues rulings once a month; it decided several other cases Thursday.
The court heard arguments in the life-sentence case in February. It is unclear when it will render a decision.
The decision will settle a debate that has been around since October and will determine the fates of dozens of inmates who have served more than 30 years in prison.
The state's courts have held that life sentences imposed between 1974 and 1978 were 80 years. Inmates have argued that they are due credits for good behavior, taking classes and working jobs. For more than two dozen, those credits would cut their sentences by more than half and make them eligible for immediate release.
Two inmates were awarded release in December by a Superior Court judge who agreed they were due credits that shorten their sentences. State prosecutors appealed that decision.
The stateSupreme Court's word likely will be the final say in the case.
Get the biggest news in your email or cellphone as it's happening. Sign up for breaking news alerts.
The barely 2-week-old campaign for governor has gotten off to a raucous start, with a lawsuit, threats of “evisceration” and the two national parties wading in playing hard ball. 
70-year-old State Rep. Larry Womble, D-Winston-Salem, has been charged with one misdemeanor count of death by vehicle, according to the state attorney general’s office. The accident happened in December. 
Media sets up “Camp Edwards,” the defendant takes in another baseball game and the wait enters one week for a jury verdict in the trial of the former presidential candidate. 
The total budget, including the total the state House proposes to spend next year, is not available, but House members pushed major pieces through committees Thursday. The house budget doesn’t anticipate any fee increases, and the state courts would escape major reductions while federal election grants would be unfrozen. 
A campaign commercial funded by the Democratic Governors Association includes facts about Pat McCrory’s corporate ties but may lead viewers to distorted conclusions. 
Most modern U.S. presidents have played golf, but it's touchy, since many people view it as an expensive, elite sport. President Barack Obama plays golf a lot, but he won't let the news media see him do it. Keep up with the latest political stories with our free daily e-mail newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox!
Subscribe to Politics - it's free!
