The Perinatal Mental Health and Criminal Justice Expert Witness Course held on July 12, 2020 was presented by a panel of legal and clinical experts in the field of maternal mental illness and the law. The seminar was designed to increase the competence and proficiency of clinical professionals in preparation...
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Category: Federal and State Criminal Law
When will Courts Reopen?
We would love to use this Blog entry to give you an update as to when courts will reopen, when defendants can face trial or resolve matters, when domestic situations can be worked out or at least litigated before a judge, when property disputes can be settled, damages ordered, and wills and...
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I was just…gestur’n…
On 9 January 2017, a day after Elvis’s Birthday (and my mom’s), a North Carolina State Trooper kindly responded to a stranded motorist who had run out of gas. It was winter in Stanley County, North Carolina, and it was cold. The Trooper, with the assistance...
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You All Count
12 In the Box – You All Count
As we try to reasonably exist in the socially distant Covid-sphere, we feel as though our lives are frozen—or substantially stalled. But, the world remains, and great change is before us, and some change will likely prove to be very corrective. And so, the...
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NC Drug Laws
In the US, almost half of all people imprisoned are there for drug related offenses. In North Carolina, drug related offenses are one of the top reasons people go to prison. Drug offenses are not to be taken lightly. If you, a friend, or family member have been charged with any type of drug offense,...
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Types of Misdemeanors
What exactly is a Misdemeanor? For many of us the line between a misdemeanor and a felony, or even different classes of misdemeanors is blurry. We've taken the time to out line the differences between the different classes of misdemeanors and the most common punishments for each one.
A misdemeanor offense can include but isn't...
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Giving a Second Chance: New Rules for Clearing Criminal Records
A criminal record can cause significant problems in obtaining employment, loans, housing, owning a gun, and many other critical benefits afforded to the general public—not something most teenagers are thinking about before they commit a petty crime. Colleges and universities can reject your application based on court records. What’s worse, anyone with a phone...
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Teens in Trouble Will Get a Break in 2019
North Carolina is no longer the only state in the U.S. to automatically prosecute juveniles, ages 16 and 17, as adults. Last June, the General Assembly ended a century-long practice of prosecuting teens as adults by enacting the Juvenile Justice Reinvestment Act (JJRA) as part of the state budget. The bill raises the age...
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Why You Need an Attorney for Any Drug Offense
A recent report, States with the Biggest Drug Problems in 2017, published in The News & Observer revealed that North Carolina was number 20 on its list. The study compared 15 metrics from arrest and overdose rates to opioid prescriptions and meth lab incidents per capita in all 50 states. Of the more than...
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The Making of a Murder: Opioid Dealers Could Find Themselves in Prison for Life
More than 12,000 North Carolinians have died from opioid-related overdoses over the last 17 years, the majority of which were unintentional, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
At just 16, Sarah Reams had already received her commercial fishing license and enjoyed spending time outdoors working on a boat with her...
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