Recent Blog Posts
Expungement in North Carolina
A criminal conviction or a criminal charge can have a multitude of consequences. For example, a public housing authority can deny federally assisted housing based on an arrest that never led to a conviction. Private landlords can deny a person’s application. Also, employers can terminate someone with a criminal record. Further, insurance and loan… Read More »
What are the Most Common Firearm Offenses in North Carolina?
On October 20, 2020, a North Carolina man was sentenced to over 15 years in prison for multiple drug and gun charges. Although the charges mainly involved illegal drugs, the man was also convicted of illegal possession of a firearm. Unfortunately, this is just one type of firearm charge a person may face in… Read More »
Using Self-Checkout at Walmart Could Result in Criminal Charges
Anyone that has walked into a Walmart in recent years has seen the line of self-checkout machines that allow customers to scan their own items and pay for them. Whether the retail giant foresaw it or not, those machines have led to a number of thefts, which have cost the company thousands of dollars…. Read More »
Defenses to Drug Possession Charges
It was in late September when a man from Rowan County was sentenced to almost eight years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple drug charges. The charges included possession, possession with intent to sell, and a number of weapon charges. He was also a known gang member to police. Although this specific… Read More »
What are the Different Levels of a DWI in North Carolina?
It was in early September when a woman allegedly struck and killed two pedestrians while driving drunk. The crash is still under investigation and due to the fact that we do not know all of the facts, it is impossible to know what level of DWI the woman will face. North Carolina has five… Read More »
Marchers in North Carolina Voter Rally Pepper-Sprayed & Arrested
On October 31, North Carolina law enforcement took aim at citizens exercising their First Amendment rights who were marching to a polling location in Graham to honor African-Americans who were killed due to racial injustice (including such victims as Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Trayvon Martin, among others) by pepper spraying and arresting a… Read More »
ICE Posing as Local Police to Avoid Warrant Requirements & Arrest Immigrants
There have been recent reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents purposely misidentifying themselves as local police, members of narcotics squads, or using other disguises, including here in North Carolina, in order to pursue and detain immigrants throughout the community without first obtaining valid warrants. While ICE has indicated that it is within… Read More »
Appeals Court Creates New Fourth Amendment Rights For Criminal Defendants & Those Subject To Immigration Detainers
In September, the Ninth Circuit made two decisions which arguably created new Fourth Amendment rights for every defendant charged with crimes when surveillance practices lead to evidence being used against them, as well as those who are subject to immigration detention, determining that ICE’s decisions must be reviewed by a neutral magistrate because those… Read More »
When Physical Discipline Turns into Child Abuse Charges in North Carolina
There is no question that parenting during the pandemic has been difficult for a number of people, especially for divorced or otherwise separated parents who disagree about certain issues, such as how to discipline their child. In fact, disagreements over issues such as corporal punishment have even led to false accusations of child abuse … Read More »
Murder Charges Brought Over Miscarriages & Stillbirths
One prosecutor’s choice to charge women with murder after their pregnancies end in stillbirths has sent a panic around the country due to the precedent it could set for civil and reproductive rights, as well as the potential to criminalize the choices that pregnant women make. Specifically, the current prosecution of criminal defendant Chelsea… Read More »
