State v. Gault

CourtCourt of Appeals of North Carolina
DecidedMarch 18, 2026
Docket24-561
StatusUnpublished
AuthorJudge Michael Stading

This text of State v. Gault (State v. Gault) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of North Carolina primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Gault, (N.C. Ct. App. 2026).

Opinion

An unpublished opinion of the North Carolina Court of Appeals does not constitute controlling legal authority. Citation is disfavored but may be permitted in accordance with the provisions of Rule 30(e)(3) of the North Carolina Rules of Appellate Procedure.

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF NORTH CAROLINA

No. COA24-561

Filed 18 March 2026

Surry County, No. 23CR213728-850

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA

v.

SHANNON EDWARD GAULT, Defendant.

Appeal by Defendant from judgment entered 10 January 2024 by Judge Angela

B. Puckett in Surry County Superior Court. Heard in the Court of Appeals 15

January 2025.

Yoder Law PLLC, by Attorney Jason Christopher Yoder, for defendant- appellant.

Attorney General Jeff Jackson, by Assistant Attorney General Rana M. Badwan, for the State.

STADING, Judge.

Shannon Edward Gault (“Defendant”) appeals from final judgment after he

pled guilty to failure to register changes or obtain a new online identifier. After

careful consideration, we affirm in part, vacate in part, and vacate and remand in

part. STATE V. GAULT

Opinion of the Court

I. Background

Defendant was convicted of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor on 18

July 2022. As a result, he was placed on supervised probation. As a special condition

of his probation, Defendant “was to have no internet access or access to social

networking sites[.]” While conducting a supervision visit on 8 December 2022,

Defendant’s probation officer discovered various images on Defendant’s cell phone

that originated from a commonly known social media application—SnapChat. It was

later determined that Defendant accessed and controlled various SnapChat accounts

from his cell phone despite the condition of his probation. Following his violation,

Defendant’s probation “was revoked for the original offense.”1

On 11 December 2023, the Surry County Grand Jury returned a true bill of

indictment charging Defendant with one count of failure to register changes or obtain

a new online identifier as a sex offender. Defendant pled guilty on 10 January 2024.

That same day, the trial court sentenced Defendant to 19–32 months in prison,

suspended for 36 months of supervised probation and a 90-day split sentence. The

1 Defendant previously appealed the trial court’s judgment that found a probation violation, revoked

his probation, and activated his sentence. State v. Gault, No. COA24-5, 2025 N.C. App. LEXIS 375 (2025). Defendant argued “that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to revoke his probation [and] the evidence was insufficient to establish that he violated a condition of his probation.” Id. at *1. A prior panel from this Court held that “the violation report complied with the notice requirement under North Carolina General Statute Section 15A-1345(e), so the trial court had subject matter jurisdiction in Defendant’s probation revocation hearing.” Id. at *22. The prior panel determined “that there was insufficient competent evidence that Defendant violated his probation by committing a criminal offense” and reversed the “trial court’s judgment revoking Defendant’s probation[.]” Id.

-2- STATE V. GAULT

trial court further ordered that Defendant “have no internet access or access to any

social media” as a special condition of his probation.

Defendant’s trial attorney objected to the imposition of this special condition

of probation, arguing that it was unconstitutional:

[DEFENDANT’S ATTORNEY]: [B]efore Your Honor puts one of these conditions to be the internet, I’m not sure that’s a constitutional judgment.

The trial court replied:

[TRIAL COURT]: The Court does hear your argument, but . . . is going to order that he have no internet access or access to any social media. He is to perform 72 hours of community service, pay the community service fee associated with that, not have, use, possess any controlled substance or alcoholic beverage. Submit to warrantless searches of your person, your vehicle, your residence to insure you are complying with that condition of probation, along with unannounced drug and/or breath tests. And, of course, not violate any of the laws of the State of North Carolina.

Following sentencing, Defendant gave oral notice of appeal in open court. He

also petitioned our Court for a writ of certiorari (“PWC”) on 28 August 2024.

II. Jurisdiction

On appeal, Defendant asserts the trial court erred in ordering 36 months of

probation to commence after he was released from serving a 90-day split sentence

because it exceeded the maximum probationary period allowed under N.C. Gen. Stat.

§ 15A-1343.2(d)(4) (2023). We have jurisdiction to consider this issue under N.C. Gen.

Stat. § 15A-1444(a2) (2023). See State v. Sale, 232 N.C. App. 662, 663–64, 754 S.E.2d

-3- STATE V. GAULT

474, 476 (2014) (reviewing whether the trial court made the appropriate findings of

fact to impose a longer probationary period under section 15A-1343.2(d) after the

defendant entered an Alford plea); see also State v. Porter, 282 N.C. App. 351, 352,

870 S.E.2d 148, 149 (2022); see also State v. Branch, 194 N.C. App. 173, 178, 669

S.E.2d 18, 21 (2008).

We must next determine whether this Court has jurisdiction to consider

Defendant’s remaining issues proposed on appeal in view of his PWC. Defendant

requests us to review whether a total ban on accessing the Internet and social media,

as a special condition of probation, is unreasonable, overbroad, and unconstitutional

under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. In the alternative, he

requests that we review whether the imposed total ban was an abuse of discretion in

view of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1343(b1)(10) (2023).

“In North Carolina, a defendant’s right to appeal in a criminal proceeding is

purely a creation of state statute.” State v. Pimental, 153 N.C. App. 69, 72, 568 S.E.2d

867, 869 (2002). To that end, a defendant’s right to appeal after the entry of a guilty

plea is limited by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1444. That statute provides that a defendant

who pleads guilty to a felony or misdemeanor in superior court may appeal the

following issues as a matter of right:

(a2) A defendant who has entered a plea of guilty or no contest to a felony or misdemeanor in superior court is entitled to appeal as a matter of right the issue of whether the sentence imposed:

-4- STATE V. GAULT

(1) Results from an incorrect finding of the defendant’s prior record level under G.S. 15A-1340.14 or the defendant’s prior conviction level under G.S. 15A- 1340.21;

(2) Contains a type of sentence disposition that is not authorized by G.S. 15A-1340.17 or G.S. 15A-1340.23 for the defendant’s class of offense and prior record or conviction level; or

(3) Contains a term of imprisonment that is for a duration not authorized by G.S. 15A-1340.17 or G.S. 15A- 1340.23 for the defendant’s class of offense and prior record or conviction level.

Id. § 15A-1444(a2). Indeed, “[e]xcept as provided in subsections (a1) and (a2) . . . the

defendant is not entitled to appellate review as a matter of right when he has entered

a plea of guilty or no contest to a criminal charge in the superior court . . . .” Id. §

15A-1444(e). Even so, if a defendant has no direct right of appeal via subsection 15A-

1444(a2), “he may petition the appellate division for review by writ of certiorari.” Id.

“The Court of Appeals has jurisdiction . . . to issue the prerogative writs,

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Morrissey v. Brewer
408 U.S. 471 (Supreme Court, 1972)
Griffin v. Wisconsin
483 U.S. 868 (Supreme Court, 1987)
Ward v. Rock Against Racism
491 U.S. 781 (Supreme Court, 1989)
United States v. Knights
534 U.S. 112 (Supreme Court, 2001)
United States v. Henson
22 F. App'x 107 (Fourth Circuit, 2001)
State v. Hearst
567 S.E.2d 124 (Supreme Court of North Carolina, 2002)
State v. Harrington
336 S.E.2d 852 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1985)
State v. Johnston
473 S.E.2d 25 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 1996)
State v. Graham
683 S.E.2d 437 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2009)
State v. Branch
669 S.E.2d 18 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2008)
State v. Williams
669 S.E.2d 290 (Supreme Court of North Carolina, 2008)
State v. Pimental
568 S.E.2d 867 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2002)
Briley v. Farabow
501 S.E.2d 649 (Supreme Court of North Carolina, 1998)
State v. Hooper
591 S.E.2d 514 (Supreme Court of North Carolina, 2004)
State v. Biber
712 S.E.2d 874 (Supreme Court of North Carolina, 2011)
State v. MacKey
708 S.E.2d 719 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2011)
State v. Sale
754 S.E.2d 474 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2014)
United States v. Joseph Lacoste
821 F.3d 1187 (Ninth Circuit, 2016)
State v. Allen
790 S.E.2d 588 (Court of Appeals of North Carolina, 2016)
Packingham v. North Carolina
582 U.S. 98 (Supreme Court, 2017)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
State v. Gault, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-gault-ncctapp-2026.