Year: 2016
Khadir Cherry was arrested by Durham police on April 4, 2016, and charged with selling marijuana. After Cherry was released on bail, members of the police department’s High Enforcement Abatement Team (HEAT) stopped by the home where he was known to be staying. Although the police did not have a…
Sexual crimes appear to be all around. Many individuals were shocked when Bill Cosby was accused of this crime, although he has yet to be found guilty of anything. The recent presidential campaign brought with it numerous charges of this type against one candidate and the husband of the other,…
Courthouse Rock: Understanding Your 1st Amendment Rights As a partner at Kurtz & Blum, PLLC and like so many Americans, I have been thinking about the election season and the future of our nation. However, in thinking about the future, I can’t help but contemplate our history and what has led us…
In the summer of 2016, the Supreme Court settled the matter of whether or not a law enforcement officer has the right to collect a blood sample without consent from an individual suspected of driving under the influence. While breath tests remain authorized tools for assessing the condition of the…
Getting Protection from Domestic Violence If you or someone you love have experienced domestic violence, you may want to seek protection from the law. The law can provide protection in the form of a Domestic Violence Protective Order, or DVPO for short. North Carolina law defines domestic violence as the…
Everybody knows how talented the canines that accompany us on our life journeys can be. Sometimes, it seems as if the only things a canine cannot be taught to do are those their humans have yet to consider teaching them! Dogs hunt game, herd sheep, provide protection, go to war,…
Marijuana has certainly been making its fair share of headlines over the last few years with just over half the nation joining Colorado and Washington in legalizing use of the drug in some capacity. As the number of states jumping on board grows, those lines once drawn between acceptable levels…
When can you expunge a criminal conviction and clean your criminal record? Fairly recently, the North Carolina State Legislature passed some changes to our laws surrounding expunctions. These new laws are actually helpful, and can hopefully bring relief associated with the stigma of a criminal conviction to many people convicted…
A recent surge in theft of tree nuts has left California police scratching their heads. California is the largest tree nut producer in the United States and second only to China in world production. These crimes typically are done by hacking the logistics systems and rerouting the shipments. Because of…
NC Supreme Court Clarifies Expert Opinion Testimony Standards of Admissability: Impact on Criminal and DWI Defense This past June, the North Carolina Supreme Court settled controversy in North Carolina courts as to what is classified as “expert” testimony in State v. McGrady, __ N.C.___ (June 10, 2016). A little history lesson…
