May 19, 2019

Recalling Warrants

It happens. Sometimes people charged with a criminal offense forget about a court appearance and need help “recalling warrants” or striking an Order for Arrest.

You may have even been scared and decided not to appear in court on the assigned date, later realizing that only made a bad situation worse.

It’s also possible to have multiple cases pending in the same or even different jurisdictions, making it hard to keep track of everything. Missing court can happen for a lot of very good reasons and is not terribly unusual.

April 26, 2019

Why is Charlotte Crime Out of Control — Part 2

by Carolina Attorneys

Broken Windows, Broken Lives

Social scientists and criminologists understand there exists an inverse relationship between crime rates and the lack of enforcement of criminal laws.

It’s called the Broken Windows Theory.

The criminological explanation of the social decline theory goes like this.

April 25, 2019

Will Charlotte police ever get the video thing right?

by Carolina Attorneys

Prior to the passage of HB 972, the “Body Camera Bill” in 2015, there were legitimate concerns about the law and how it would be applied.

Given the maelstrom that now exists in the Queen City regarding yet another “officer-involved shooting,” and the lack of transparency in the turning-over of video, reasonable minds may ask, “Do we need to revisit the NC body camera laws?”

The law regarding Law Enforcement Agency Recordings, as set forth in N.C.G.S. 132-1.4A, and its interpretation, has been at best problematic. Police departments only reluctantly turn over video. Officers fail to activate recording equipment.

April 19, 2019

Why is Charlotte Crime Out of Control — Part 1

by Carolina Attorneys

Charlotte is on track to set a new homicide record in 2019.

While quite a dubious distinction in and of itself, the developing metric fails to express the full nature and extent of a much larger problem in Mecklenburg County.

The overall crime rate and criminality are on the verge of becoming all-consuming issues for citizens, politicians, and the media in our beloved, friendly southern town.

April 10, 2019

How to dress for court

by Carolina Attorneys

Have an upcoming court appearance?

A lot of people don’t have experience with legal matters. As such, it’s understandable you may not know what to expect, what to do, or how to act in court. That’s normal.

Two of the most common questions we get is, “What should I expect in court?” and “What should I wear?”

March 30, 2019

Is Drunk Driving Enforced?

by Carolina Attorneys

News outlets continue to report a spate of DUI wrecks in the Carolinas. Contrary to the narrative spun by senior law enforcement officials, ride-sharing apps like UBER and Lyft have not eliminated the dangers of alcohol-related wrecks and deaths in Charlotte.

Drunk driving fatalities have increased while the number of arrests and criminal charges have dropped, if not fallen off the cliff.

That’s not something you just “notice” without taking affirmative steps to remedy the problem. Enforcing the NC DWI laws is not a priority to senior leadership at CMPD.

February 4, 2019

The greatest of these is love

by Carolina Attorneys

I sat there in church, angry.

I tried to quiet my thoughts and focus on the purpose of being there.

It was a cavernous sanctuary, which was necessary. Funerals for young people are well-attended.

February 2, 2019

I lost a client

by Carolina Attorneys

Let’s call him Andrew. We spent some time together last week. Quick to smile, self-deprecating, and genuinely appreciative as a client, I’ve liked him from the start.

I could immediately see Andrew was agitated, but most people wouldn’t have picked up on that. I gave him the head nod and we silently walked out of the courtroom and into the hallway to talk.

Andrew didn’t start this conversation with his usual smile. He was polite as ever, immediately apologizing for the purpose of our being there. This time, things were different.

January 14, 2019

What is a Giglio Disclosure?

by Carolina Attorneys

Brady and Giglio Material – Transparency in Motion for Discovery in NC

The following legal reference materials are in addition to those previously posted by our law firm. While discovery materials pursuant to Brady v. Maryland supplement the NC criminal laws relevant to voluntary discovery or a Motion for Discovery, they are technically distinct from the State providing Giglio content.

One way to think of it is that, generally speaking, all Giglio v. United States content likely falls within the Brady Rule, but not all Brady materials are Giglio disclosures. Brady has to do with the voluntary disclosure of favorable information that may be exculpatory in nature.

January 12, 2019

Disclosure of Exculpatory Evidence in Charlotte NC

by Carolina Attorneys

The State of North Carolina (through the prosecutors) is required to turn over certain types of evidence to the accused (the Defendant in NC). Criminal lawyers in Charlotte, and other attorneys throughout the state, often refer to that as Giglio or exculpatory Brady material.

Both Brady and Giglio, and the associated release of documentation, are related to one another, at least in part. Neither is strictly what may you think of as a Motion for Discovery or N.C.G.S. 15A-903, the NC discovery law.

It’s more than that. Prosecutors have enhanced duties to provide certain materials pursuant to ethical responsibilities and constitutional precepts.

Carolina Law Blog

Broken Windows, Broken Lives

Have an upcoming court appearance?

Brady and Giglio Material – Transparency in Motion for Discovery in NC