Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Should I ever plead guilty to a charge?” Everyone knows that you have the right to plead “not guilty” to criminal charges filed against you. Meanwhile, “guilty” pleas are usually used when a person is taking a plea bargain in exchange…
Articles Posted in Criminal Defense
Can you go to jail for environmental crimes?
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question:”What is an expungement?” The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently announced that people responsible for serious environmental crimes could be prosecuted by the court. The announcement represents a shift for the ICC, which has long focused on prosecuting…
North Carolina Man Charged In False Clown Sighting Incident
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “What should parents tell their children to do when interacting with police officers?” If you’ve been following the news closely you’ve likely seen articles about a recent rash of clown sightings. The stories have popped up everywhere, in North Carolina, Minnesota,…
New “Blue Lives Matter” Law Taken For A Spin in Louisiana
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Should I talk to the police?” There’s been a recent push by legislatures in some states to pass what are known as “Blue Lives Matter” laws. This broad category refers to measures intended to stiffen penalties faced by offenders who perpetrate…
Attorneys Permanently Disbarred for Setting Up Opposing Counsel for DUI Mid-Trial
Charlotte DWI Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Is there more than one way for police to charge a person with DWI?” The Florida Supreme Court recently ruled to permanently disbar two Tampa civil attorneys for one of the most movie-plot-level setups the Court said it had ever seen:…
Pokémon Go: Helping, and Annoying, Police Since 2016
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Am I allowed to videotape an interaction with police? Can they make me stop filming?” Whether you’re an avid catcher of Pikachus or are convinced the era of technology taking over is upon us, you’ve no doubt noticed Pokémon’s rather public…
Criminal Law and the Ryan Lochte Mess
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “How is getting charged with a crime on a college campus different from being charged off campus?” Anyone with access to the internet has likely heard about the mess Ryan Lochte and his fellow American Olympic swimmers recently got themselves into…
Man Recycles Plot from Seinfeld for $1000 in Bottle Refunds, Gets Hit With Felony
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?” After a plot straight from the popular sitcom Seinfeld went awry, a Michigan man is facing five (5) years in prison for a felony count of beverage return of non-refundable bottles.…
Hot Dog: Unattended Vehicles Can Land You, Kids, Pets in a Pickle This Summer
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “The person that called the police doesn’t want to press charges, can I still be prosecuted?” NASA just reported that May 2016 was the hottest month our planet has ever had—and North Carolina’s sweltering temperatures have been no exception. Given that…
Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and the criminal implications of secret recordings
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?” For pop culture junkies the Taylor Swift/Kanye West feud dates back a long way, to 2009, to be precise. It was then that Kanye stormed the MTV VMA stage, interrupting Swift’s…