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: “If I simply intend to plead guilty, why do I need a lawyer?” In a new and bizarre example of how some North Carolina criminals do the dumbest things, two men from Greensboro are in hot legal water after being charged with stealing…
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?” A middle school principal from North Carolina has been arrested and faces charges of sexually assaulting a young male student while his parents waited outside the principal’s office. The shocking case of David…
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “The person that called the police doesn’t want to press charges” The District Attorney from Orange County, NC, Jim Woodall, has taken a surprising stand in favor of enforcing the state’s sports agent laws, something that puts Woodall in a very small group…
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “What is an expungement?” A recent New York Times article delved into the issue of for-profit websites that exist to catalog the embarrassing mug shots of everyone from celebrities to Average Joes. The article set off a firestorm after it revealed some surprising…
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: “Should I talk to the police?” Police in Greenwood, South Carolina say that two people are facing criminal charges after a man made the decision to pick up a prostitute in a church parking lot. Greenwood City Police say that they had received…
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “A past conviction is keeping me from finding work what can I do?” Officials with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission announced that they had arrested a man for a rather bizarre crime: trading in illegal reptiles. Though selling reptiles may not seem…
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “I was found not guilty of a charge, but my record still shows the charge.” In a sad and somewhat surprising criminal law incident from late last month, a woman from Charlotte, NC found herself in jail after being arrested for putting her…
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “If I simply intend to plead guilty, why do I need a lawyer?” In a bizarre episode, police in Raleigh say that the man caught on camera breaking into the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences over the weekend has surrendered to authorities.…