What to Do if You are Stopped By the Police When the police are not handling major crimes, they are often roving around on the lookout for traffic violations and minor offenses. The police may stop you for any number of reasons. If you have ever been stopped, you know…
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Am I allowed to videotape an interaction with police? Can they make me stop filming?” One of the many duties of the police is to make routine stops. This, among other reasons, is why an officer can sometimes pull you over.…
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Should I talk to the police?” The killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, triggered a wave of nationwide protests against racial injustice and police brutality. A new study showed that black people are more likely to…
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question:”A past conviction is keeping me from finding work. What can I do?” Virginia’s Supreme Court ruled this July that its governor’s decision to restore voting rights to over 200,000 felons violates the state’s constitution. The court ruled 4 to 3 that…
Charlotte DWI and Criminal Defense Attorney J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Can the police search my car without a warrant?” When the U.S. Open tennis tournament concluded last weekend in New York, one of the tournament’s major storylines had nothing to do anything…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “If I have an outstanding warrant, what should I do?” Saturday, April 4 seemed like a good day for a cookout. Walter Scott drove his friend Pierre Fulton to a local church to pick up some vegetables. The…
Charlotte DWI and Criminal Defense Attorney J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What am I obligated to do if I’ve been pulled for Drinking and Driving?” Long before Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot Michael Brown, and long before New York City police restrained…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “If I have an outstanding warrant, what should I do?” The “Hands up, don’t shoot!” moniker is all the rage in the United States, with prominent professional athletes in the National Basketball Association and National Football League, as…
Charlotte DWI Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: What are the long term effects of being convicted of a crime? Former Charlotte mayor Patrick Cannon found himself back in federal court in Charlotte last Thursday, where he faced the same federal district court judge who sentenced him to 44…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Do I need to hire an attorney if I have been falsely accused?” The shooting death of teen Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer—and the subsequent protesting, rioting and looting—has many Charlotteans asking “Could that happen…