Category: Criminal Defense
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…
State laws give out tough punishments to the offenders while offering protection to victims, yet at times the technicalities of these laws often translate to seemingly unjust punishments to those who have committed a crime. Last June, a jury convicted Demetrius Richardson, a 26-year-old man from Elyria, Ohio of rape…
Justice Sonia Sotomayor has written a number of dissents during her short term on the Supreme Court, but her most important dissent may be on the case of Utah v. Strieff, which questions whether or not prosecutors can use evidence obtained by police after illegal stops. The broad repercussions of this…
The 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees you the right to be free from “unlawful searches and seizures” at the hands of the government. So when the police stop you, they have to have a good reason, right? That is simply not the case, especially after a new Supreme…
Numerous drugs, particularly Schedule I drugs like heroin and LSD, may increase the likelihood that a person will perform dangerous acts, or perhaps even commit a crime. Marijuana is also classified as a Controlled Substance under Schedule I, in the same category as dangerous drugs like heroin and LSD. However,unlike…
Passwords and encryption methods may be enough to keep other people out of your computers and mobile devices and far away from your personal files, but once you’ve been accused of a serious crime like possession of child pornography, these safeguards are increasingly causing issues with the government’s desire to…
Under the 4th amendment protections of the US Constitution, police cannot enter a home without a warrant except in exigent circumstances. Very recently, North Carolina police allegedly stormed a Durham home on suspicion of marijuana, entering the premises without a search warrant and terrorizing the people inside. Some of the…
Every now and then, sensational news coverage crops up about young children who get sexually assaulted or molested by predatory adults. Sexual assault of a minor is a very serious crime, so it’s no wonder that members of a community become quite concerned when they learn about who in their…
