Attorney General Jeff Jackson Upholds Criminal Convictions in Murder Cases, Cherokee Child Welfare Case

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 10, 2026
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RALEIGH - Attorney General Jeff Jackson and the North Carolina Department of Justice won 25 appeals cases on Aug. 5, upholding criminal convictions from North Carolina trial courts, including a Cherokee County criminal case involving impropriety by the county Department of Social Services and first-degree murder cases in Forsyth and Wake counties.

The North Carolina Department of Justice is responsible for defending criminal convictions in the state's appellate courts.

"These cases were about keeping people safe from dangerous criminals and protecting children and families," said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "Our office is going to take on every fight to ensure we deliver justice for victims and protect North Carolinians."

In State v. Lindsay, the court upheld Ronald Scott Lindsay's conviction of 12 counts of felony obstruction of justice and two counts of misdemeanor obstruction of justice. The case was originally tried by the North Carolina Department of Justice's Special Prosecutions Section. Lindsay was the attorney for the Cherokee County Department of Social Services (DSS). He advised Cherokee County DSS to use agreements to remove children from their parents' custody without involving the court, often without the parent even having legal counsel. Based on Lindsay's direction, the Cherokee County DSS forced parents in the county to sign up to 30 such agreements. Parents lost access to their children, and in some cases, children were placed in dangerous conditions that included abuse, neglect, and sexual violence.

Lindsay was sentenced to five to 15 months in prison, suspended for 12 months of unsupervised probation.

In State v. Graves, the court upheld Lessie Denise Graves' conviction of first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, and robbery with a dangerous weapon. The case was originally tried by the office of Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O'Neill. Evidence in the case showed that Graves and another defendant restrained the victim in the victim's apartment, robbed him, and caused his death. At trial, a forensic pathologist testified that the victim died of asphyxiation.

In State v. Murchison-Clark, the court upheld Isaiah Ali Murchison-Clark's conviction of first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon. The case was originally tried by the office of Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman. In August 2022, a man was shot and killed during a drug deal, and Murchison-Clark was later identified as a suspect based on doorbell camera footage and witness statements. Data from the victim's phone showed the last person called was Murchison-Clark. Data from Murchison-Clark's cellphone showed that on the day of the killing, he was physically near the victim's home on the night of the shooting, and that he and other murder suspects had discussed a drug deal and robbery. He and two others were later arrested for the victim's murder.

You can read more about other criminal convictions the Department of Justice has successfully defended here.

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