NC State Trooper cheat sheet

North Carolina traffic stops rest on reasonable suspicion under Terry v. Ohio; probable cause is required for arrest or full vehicle searches beyond protective sweeps.

Miranda warnings are triggered by custody plus interrogation; roadside questioning during a routine stop generally is not custodial, so warnings are not required.

Consent searches require voluntary consent from a person with authority over the area; consent may be limited in scope and withdrawn at any time.

North Carolina uses a 15-day limit to bring an arrested person before a judicial official for a first appearance, unless extended as statute allows.

The exclusionary rule suppresses evidence obtained through unconstitutional search or seizure; fruits of the poisonous tree extend suppression to derivative evidence.

Use-of-force analysis tracks objective reasonableness under Graham v. Connor, judged from the officer's perspective at the moment force was used.

North Carolina requires the arresting officer to submit a sworn affidavit to support a warrant application; a magistrate reviews probable cause before issuance.

Field notes must record time, location, parties, observations, statements, and evidence chain; contemporaneous notes are discoverable and support testimony credibility.

DWI investigation follows three phases: vehicle in motion, personal contact, and pre-arrest screening including standardized field sobriety tests.

North Carolina's juvenile delinquency jurisdiction generally covers ages 6 through 17 at the time of the offense; age 16 and 17 are handled as adult criminal matters for most felonies.

A juvenile taken into custody must be given notice of rights and the opportunity to consult a parent, guardian, or custodian before waiving rights.

Juveniles have a statutory right to counsel in delinquency proceedings; waiver requires a knowing, voluntary, and intelligent decision on the record.

The juvenile court uses disposition levels: Level 1 community-based, Level 2 intermediate, and Level 3 secure custody for the most serious offenders.

Nontestimonial identification orders authorize collection of fingerprints, photographs, and biological samples from juveniles on probable cause.

Delinquency records are confidential under the Juvenile Code; release is limited to specified persons and purposes such as schools and courts.

Juvenile transfers to superior court require a notice and hearing and are limited to juveniles meeting statutory age and offense criteria.

Status offenses such as running away or ungovernability are handled as undisciplined juvenile matters, not delinquency.

The Incident Command System organizes response into command, operations, planning, logistics, and finance/administration functions.

Unified command brings multiple agencies with jurisdiction into a single command structure while preserving each agency's authority.

Span of control is commonly three to seven subordinates per supervisor, with five as the target.

The National Incident Management System is the national framework for all-hazards incident management; the National Response Framework governs federal response.

The four phases of emergency management are mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

A damage assessment reports casualties, structural damage, and infrastructure status; it drives resource requests and recovery decisions.

The Emergency Support Function structure assigns federal agencies to functional areas, such as ESF-13 for public safety and security.

After-action reviews identify strengths and corrective actions; improvement plans track implementation of those actions.

The National Terrorism Advisory System issues bulletins, elevated alerts, and imminent alerts, replacing the color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System.

Target hardening reduces vulnerability by adding physical or procedural barriers such as bollards, access control, and lighting.

The 'see something, say something' campaign routes suspicious activity reports to state and local fusion centers and the FBI.

The National Preparedness Goal defines core capabilities across prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery missions.

Fusion centers coordinate intelligence sharing among federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners; information must be shared within privacy and civil-liberty safeguards.

Critical infrastructure is organized into 16 sectors, each with a designated sector-specific agency responsible for coordination.

Improvised explosive device awareness focuses on the four C's: confirm, clear, cordon, and control, with evacuation distances based on device size.

Active threat response prioritization is threat neutralization, then life safety, then scene stabilization and evidence preservation.

North Carolina's implied consent law requires a driver arrested for DWI to submit to chemical testing; refusal triggers civil revocation and may be used at trial.

The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08 for drivers 21 and older and 0.04 for commercial drivers operating a commercial vehicle.

For drivers under 21, any alcohol concentration of 0.02 or more supports a DWI charge under the zero-tolerance provision.

Chain of custody documents every transfer of evidence; a break in the chain affects admissibility and the weight given at trial.

A search incident to arrest may cover the arrestee's person and the passenger compartment within reaching distance, plus containers in that area.

Vehicle inventory searches require standardized policy and must not be a pretext for investigative search.

Hazardous materials incidents require isolation distances from the Emergency Response Guidebook; initial isolation distances are set for small and large spills.

A juvenile may be released to a parent or guardian pending a hearing; secure custody requires a court finding of risk of flight or danger to self or others.

The juvenile's parent or guardian must be notified promptly when the juvenile is taken into custody.

Delinquency petitions must allege facts with specificity and give notice of the alleged offense and the juvenile's rights.

Juvenile probation may include community service, counseling, curfews, and restitution; violations can lead to a new disposition hearing.

The Juvenile Code emphasizes rehabilitation and least restrictive disposition consistent with public safety.

Law enforcement may photograph and fingerprint a juvenile only as authorized by statute, such as with a nontestimonial identification order or after a delinquency adjudication for specified offenses.

Statements obtained from a juvenile during custodial interrogation are scrutinized for voluntariness, including the presence of a parent or guardian.

A local state of emergency activates emergency powers such as curfews, evacuation orders, and price-gouging enforcement.

The Stafford Act authorizes federal disaster assistance, including public assistance and individual assistance programs.

The National Response Framework's core capabilities are organized under 32 activities across the five mission areas.

Emergency operations centers coordinate response through a common operating picture and resource tracking.

Recovery includes short-term restoration of services and long-term rebuilding with hazard mitigation incorporated.

Mutual aid agreements provide resources across jurisdictions; the Emergency Management Assistance Compact is the interstate mechanism.

Presidential disaster declarations trigger federal reimbursement; cost-share percentages vary by program and hazard type.

Suspicious activity reporting requires observed behavior tied to criminal or terrorist indicators, not profiling based on protected characteristics.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces combine federal, state, and local investigators for terrorism cases.

The Homeland Security Information Network shares unclassified information among federal, state, local, and private partners.

The National Infrastructure Protection Plan sets risk management for critical infrastructure, with risk as a function of threat, vulnerability, and consequence.

Public safety answering points route 911 calls; the National Emergency Number Association develops standards for emergency communications.

Bomb threat response uses a checklist for caller information: time, location, device description, and detonation timeline.

First responders to a suspected chemical release approach from upwind and uphill and establish hot, warm, and cold zones.

The Fourth Amendment governs search and seizure; the Fifth Amendment protects against compelled self-incrimination; the Sixth Amendment guarantees counsel after formal charges.

Evidence must be authenticated before admission; authentication requires sufficient proof that the item is what it purports to be.

Hearsay is an out-of-court statement offered for its truth; exceptions include excited utterances, present sense impressions, and business records.

The best evidence rule requires the original writing to prove its contents unless an exception applies.

An officer's probable cause affidavit must include facts, not conclusions, so a magistrate can evaluate the basis independently.

Report narratives use chronological order, first person, active voice, and direct quotes for statements.

Chain of custody and evidence packaging must prevent contamination and preserve integrity for laboratory analysis.

A juvenile's waiver of rights must be voluntary and made with understanding of the consequences, considering age, education, and intelligence.

The court may appoint a guardian ad litem for a juvenile in specified proceedings to protect the juvenile's best interests.

Juvenile records may be expunged under statutory criteria after a waiting period and upon petition.

A juvenile adjudicated delinquent for a felony may face commitment to the Division of Juvenile Justice, with release determined by the court.

Juvenile court proceedings are generally closed to the public; the court may allow access in limited circumstances.

North Carolina requires that a juvenile be advised of the right to remain silent and to have counsel present during custodial interrogation.

Interrogation of a juvenile without a parent present does not automatically invalidate a statement but weighs heavily in voluntariness analysis.

The Emergency Response Guidebook assigns guide numbers to hazardous materials by class; guide 111 covers mixed loads and unknown materials.

Fire behavior is described by the fire tetrahedron: fuel, oxygen, heat, and chemical chain reaction.

The first-arriving officer establishes command, sizes up the scene, and requests resources based on the incident action plan.

Evacuation versus shelter-in-place decisions depend on hazard type, time available, and population characteristics.

The National Weather Service issues watches and warnings; a warning means the hazard is occurring or imminent.

Recovery begins with re-entry safety assessments, including structural, utility, and environmental checks.

Documentation during response includes incident logs, resource requests, and damage assessments that support reimbursement.

The Intelligence Cycle consists of planning and direction, collection, processing, analysis and production, and dissemination.

The National Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative standardizes reporting of behavior reasonably indicative of preoperational planning.

The Terrorist Screening Center maintains the watchlist used for screening; encounters are reported through the appropriate channel.

Critical infrastructure protection uses the risk formula: risk equals threat times vulnerability times consequence.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads federal efforts to protect critical infrastructure.

Pre-attack indicators include surveillance, elicitation, testing of security, and acquisition of unusual materials.

Protective intelligence for special events includes threat assessments, venue security surveys, and credentialing.

Reasonable suspicion requires specific and articulable facts, not a mere hunch; it justifies a brief investigative detention.

An anonymous tip must carry sufficient indicia of reliability, such as predictive details, to support reasonable suspicion.

The plain view doctrine requires lawful presence, lawful access, and immediately apparent incriminating character.

A frisk is limited to a pat-down for weapons when the officer reasonably suspects the person is armed and dangerous.

Domestic violence calls require separation of parties, documentation of injuries, and notice of available protective orders.

North Carolina law requires arrest for a domestic violence misdemeanor committed in the officer's presence, subject to statutory limits.

Crime scene management includes securing the perimeter, establishing a log, and assigning a single evidence custodian.

School resource officers must distinguish disciplinary matters from criminal conduct and document referrals accordingly.

Juvenile diversion programs may redirect first-time offenders from formal court processing when statutory criteria are met.

A juvenile court counselor screens complaints and may recommend diversion, a petition, or closure.

Restitution orders in juvenile court must be supported by evidence of loss and the juvenile's ability to pay.

Juvenile probation officers supervise conditions and report violations to the court.

Community-based programs such as teen court handle minor offenses with peer accountability and are authorized by statute in North Carolina.

Confidentiality rules limit sharing of juvenile information, but schools and courts may exchange information under specified conditions.

Clear text communications are used in multi-agency incidents; plain language replaces agency-specific codes.

The National Incident Management System Communications and Information Management component requires interoperability and common terminology.

An incident action plan is prepared for each operational period and includes objectives, organization, and safety message.

Resource typing categorizes resources by capability so requests can be matched to needs.

After-action reports feed corrective actions into the preparedness cycle, which includes planning, organization, equipment, training, and exercises.

Damage assessment teams use standardized forms to record habitability and estimated dollar losses.

Public information officers coordinate through the Joint Information Center to ensure consistent messaging.

Weapons of mass destruction categories include chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive agents.

Chemical agent recognition includes odor, color, and symptoms; nerve agents cause miosis, salivation, and respiratory distress.

Biological incident response emphasizes early detection, isolation, and coordination with public health authorities.

Radiological detection uses survey meters and dosimeters; time, distance, and shielding reduce exposure.

Explosive ordnance disposal teams control render-safe procedures; first responders establish a perimeter and avoid radio transmission near suspected devices.

The National Incident Management System requires unified command for incidents involving multiple agencies with jurisdiction.

Decontamination is conducted before transport; ambulatory victims are processed through the same decontamination corridor as non-ambulatory victims.