J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Should I ever plead guilty to a charge?” An exciting new ruling came out of the federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals this February. This is the federal court that has jurisdiction over North Carolina, and it held…
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question “If I have an outstanding warrant, what should I do?” Given the current Powerball fever, it’s fitting that a former lottery winner in North Carolina is in the news. Conventional wisdom says that those who win the lotto eventually fritter the…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question: “I was found not guilty of a charge, why does my record still show the charge?” The West Virginia Supreme Court recently issued an important decision that will help clear up questions regarding the rights of criminal defendants when…
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question: A past conviction is keeping me from finding work what can I do? We’ve previously discussed the harms that can occur when children are charged with adult crimes and made to serve out punishment in adult prisons.…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?” A criminal defense attorney was recently admonished by a District Court judge for seeking to have a motion heard. “The District Attorney controls the docket,” the judge told…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?” Like other criminal defense attorneys, I would almost never recommend that a defendant waive one’s right to a jury trial. Until last week, defendants in North Carolina could…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Can I be arrested without evidence against me?” Bill Stevenson became the latest North Carolina magistrate to resign his post in the wake of court rulings that paved the way for same-sex marriages to being in the Tar…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Should I ever plead guilty to a charge?” In May 2012, Officer John Snyder pulled over 40-year-old David Khoury after he spotted the man driving erratically down a busy stretch of Torresdale Avenue in Holmesberg, Pennsylvania. When he…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?” It is no exaggeration to posit that millions of men and women have fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy as citizens of the United States of…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “If I have an outstanding warrant, what should I do?” Many defendants in criminal cases may find coming to the county courthouse for mandatory court appearances to be an unpleasant experience in the company of unpleasant people. Criminal…