New Legislation Requires In-Vehicle Breathalyzers by 2026 Impaired driving is an ongoing problem in every state. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately a million drunk driving arrests in the United States every year. The legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in North Carolina is…
New License Plate Reader Program Takes Effect in 2024 More and more police departments are using automated license plate readers to assist them with law enforcement. There has been controversy surrounding the use of these devices and concern about what law enforcement does with the data. In Charlotte, for instance,…
New Drug Trafficking Penalties in Effect in North Carolina Drug charges are serious, and penalties may be severe if you are found guilty. The law makes some drug crimes more dangerous, and therefore, they come with stronger penalties. Drug possession is generally a much less severe crime than possession with…
What is the Kia Challenge? Social media is a daily way of life for most people. People of all ages use social media on a regular basis. Some social media sites are more popular than others. Among people in their teens and twenties, TikTok is likely one of the most…
Five Ways to Help Win Your Criminal Case Having criminal charges filed against you can create one of the most stressful situations of your life. Whether you are charged with a serious felony or a minor misdemeanor, the consequences could be serious. If you are found guilty of a crime, you…
What is the Difference Between Detainment and Arrest? If you watch any of the reality police shows on television, you may notice that police sometimes place people in handcuffs rather quickly. Sometimes they tell the person that they are not being arrested, but instead are being detained. You may wonder…
What is the Difference Between a Misdemeanor and Felony? When you are charged with a crime it may be classified as either a misdemeanor or a felony. Regardless, any criminal charges against you are serious and could result in severe consequences. Some penalties could include a prison sentence, fines, probation,…
What is Self Defense? When you are faced with danger, you want to defend yourself. When you end up seriously hurting or killing the other person as a result, you might be charged with a crime. You may defend the charges with a claim of self-defense. Self-defense is an affirmative…
Pretrial Integrity Act Now in Effect A new law is in place in North Carolina. The Pretrial Integrity Act went into effect on October 1, 2023. The bill was initially introduced as House 813 and was signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper on July 1, 2023. The law is…
Mecklenburg County Courts Going Digital – Delays are Expected We all like efficiency and there is a need to bring all of our governmental processes into the digital age. With this in mind, the court system in North Carolina has been undergoing a transition to digital. The new system is…