Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?” A grand jury in Charlotte chose to indict a local cop on voluntary manslaughter charges for shooting and killing an unarmed man last September who had just been involved in a late night…
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “What happens if I am convicted of a DUI or DWI in North Carolina?” The Los Angeles Police Department made a surprising announcement recently when an official revealed that officers would begin carrying portable devices that can check drivers for drug use. Officials…
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “Can the police search my car without a warrant?” A recent report published on the site ThinkProgress.org discovered that black people in Durham, North Carolina are more than twice as likely as white people to be searched after being pulled over for speeding.…
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “Can the police search my car without a warrant?” A spokesperson for the Charlotte Douglas International Airport has revealed that workers at the airport frequently search cars that travelers leave at valet parking. The revelation came as similar reports have surfaced at other…
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “What is an expungement?” In a tragic case out of rural North Carolina, a woman from Whiteville is now facing possible hate crime charges after attacking one of her sons for being gay. According to police, the already horrific crime is even more…
In a somewhat frightening attempt to create a comprehensive surveillance network across the county, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have said that they want access to private businesses’ security cameras which would allow them to actively monitor the happenings at malls, gas stations and banks. Though the CMPD has not yet said how…
The major cell phone providers, including AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, may be required to keep information about their customers’ text messages for at least two years according to a proposal that various law enforcement agencies submitted to Congress. A group of different police organizations asked legislators to require wireless companies…
The ACLU recently launched an attack against the Justice Department for continuing to keep innocent people locked up in jail. The civil rights organization said the government has continued keeping some people in prison despite knowing that they have not committed any federal crime. An investigation conducted by USA Today…
A gay couple from Charlotte, North Carolina claims they were victims of a brutal hate crime that left them bruised and bloodied. Mark Little and his partner Dustin Martin were vacationing in Asheville, NC when they say they were attacked by a group of three strangers, two women and one…
According to a recent article by WRAL, the North Carolina Racial Justice Act appears to be headed for repeal. SB 416, known as “An Act to Amend Death Penalty Procedures,” was passed by the North Carolina House of Representatives last week by a vote of 73-47, a veto-proof majority. More…