I Was Charged With a Crime: Should I Plead Not Guilty? Criminal charges are almost always serious. While some offenses are misdemeanors, others are felonies. Misdemeanors often carry fewer penalties, while felonies have stronger punishments, depending on the crime. If you are charged with a crime, one of the first…
Capital Punishment in North Carolina North Carolina has various punishments for different crime convictions. The most serious of all crimes have the most severe penalties. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty is only to be used for crimes that result in death, such as murder. Only…
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Am I allowed to videotape an interaction with police? Can they make me stop filming?” Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police (CMPD) has announced drastic changes to its electronic monitoring program in the city amid concerns that people released from jail before trial pose a…
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?” The incident over the weekend in Charlottesville, VA where neo-Nazis and white supremacists gathered to protest the removal of Confederate statues resulted in the…
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “Can I be arrested without evidence against me?” When the Utah jury acquitted a man named Roberto Román of first-degree murder of an officer of the peace, Román and his attorney breathed sighs of relief. Román was still convicted of two…
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?” Joanna Madonna was found guilty of first-degree murder on Monday, September 28th, in what had been a highly publicized trial in the North Carolina capital. The former Wake…