Category: Criminal Defense
N.C. Court of Appeals Grants New Trial in the Jason Young Case On April 1st, 2014, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that Wake County resident Jason Young should be granted a new trial. Justices found that the trial judge inappropriately allowed the jury evidence of a civil wrongful death suit…
Now that Colon Willoughby has stepped down as Wake County District Attorney, the question on people’s minds is: Who will replace him? To date, six lawyers have stepped up to fill the vacancy; three of whom have worked as assistants for the District Attorney’s office. As per the state’s constitution,…
Under North Carolina law, any automotive collision that results in personal injury, death or property damage requires that all drivers stop, remain at the scene of the accident and wait for authorities to arrive. Unless there is no damage or injury, drivers are not supposed to leave the scene of…
The Wake County court sentenced one-time actress Amanda Hayes for second-degree murder. According to a report from Anne Blythe of NewsObserver.com: “Amanda Hayes, a 41-year-old one-time actress, had issued an apology to the court about what happened to Laura Jean Ackerson, the 27-year-old Kinston woman killed and dismembered in July…
On January 16, 2014 reported about the case of a mother declared legally insane when she smothered her 2-year-old infant. Fortunately, tragedies like this are extremely rare but never seem to have any rhyme or reason, especially when perpetrated by someone suffering from schizophrenic delusions. Every once in while, a…
A $2-million mansion in the Wake-Durham County Line lies mostly in ruins today, its owner now in prison after pleading guilty to real estate fraud. Graffiti littered the broken walls, wood boards barricaded the windows and doorways, and a layer of rubble covered the floor. This was the house that…
Discussions about death penalty often provoke highly emotional responses from proponents and opponents alike. Although the drop in death penalty trials in the Tar Heel State is good news if you ask us, the reality is that North Carolina is a state where the death penalty is enforced, and is…
There’s no guarantee that the best drug-detection dog on the force won’t generate a false positive. However, once trained and certified, their performance in the field cannot be questioned by defense attorneys at trial. This became the focus of a Supreme Court ruling in February, where a unanimous court overturned…
Over the past 21 years as an attorney I have dealt with a multitude of professionals. Sadly, the blunt truth is that I have determined that most professionals and service providers fall far short of my expectations. I recognize that this is an extension of my holding myself and my firm to…
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder recently announced that low-level, nonviolent drug offenders will no longer be charged with offenses that impose severe mandatory sentences. Holder’s announcement is in response to soaring prison costs — $60 billion in 2012 — and draconian budget cuts brought about through the federal sequester. There…
