Special Projects

Court hearing on Mike Peterson focuses on discredited SBI agent

Michael Peterson reacts after Judge Orlando Hudson ruled that he'll get a new trial. Hudson found that former SBI agent Duane Deaver misled the judge and jury in 2003, when his testimony helped convict Peterson in the death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson.

Attorneys from the NC attorney general’s office argue that a 2003 murder conviction should be reinstated against Michael Peterson. The Durham novelist’s attorneys argue his trial was flawed by the testimony of an SBI agent who has since been discredited...

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Archive by category ''Special Projects

LOCAL/STATE

The News & Observer’s hospital series is Pulitzer Prize finalist

“Prognosis: Profits,” a series jointly produced by The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer, was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Price in local reporting, announced Monday.
JOHN DRESCHER

Drescher: In Sledge case, judge dropped the ball

For 20 years, inmate Joseph Sledge asked for DNA testing. That should have happened years ago.
THE GHOST WORKERS

Audit says Industrial Commission must ensure businesses carry workers' comp

The state Industrial Commission has failed in its responsibility to make sure businesses protect workers by carrying insurance to cover their injuries, according to a state audit released Tuesday. Commission leaders agreed to step up efforts to catch businesses breaking the law before their workers...
TWISTED TRUTH

NC Appeals Court to hear arguments about ousted Durham DA

Attorneys fighting for Tracey Cline, the former Durham district attorney, will try to persuade the N.C. Appeals Court that her rights to free speech and due process were violated.
NATURE RESEARCH CENTER

Tour the Nature Research Center

Take a tour of the new Nature Research Center at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences in downtown Raleigh.
THE GHOST WORKERS

Legislators suggest ways to detect workers' comp insurance fraud

A group of legislators will put forward several bills during this year's legislative session that could make it harder for employers to skimp on workers' compensation. Legislators acknowledge the measures aren't silver bullets but say they will provide tools to consumers and state officials to detect...
THE GHOST WORKERS

Advocates seek a safety net for injured NC workers

At least half of the states, including many that border North Carolina, offer compensation to workers hurt while working for companies that fail to buy required insurance. Some say it's time for similar help here and want state leaders to create a fund to pay for lost wages and medical bills quickly...
THE GHOST WORKERS

Legislators: Employers' insurance data will be public again

While legislators will need to sign off on the measure early next year, leaders don't anticipate any hurdles. The announcement of an agreement among the interested groups came Wednesday during a special legislative committee studying problems with workers' compensation.
THE GHOST WORKERS

Lawmakers say they will reverse course on worker comp law

The same state lawmakers who passed a law making it impossible for workers to find out whether their employers carry workers' compensation insurance are now promising to reverse course.
THE GHOST WORKERS

NC leaders promise to crack down on cheating businesses

A task force of state leaders convened Monday to figure out how to ensure that businesses pay taxes and provide workers' compensation insurance for their employees.