June 23, 2020

York County Criminal Courts – Coronavirus Update

A Public Defender who works at the Moss Justice Center in York County, South Carolina has tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 Severe Acute Respiratory

Syndrome Coronavirus 2.

The Justice Center is where criminal charges in York County, which includes Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and Lake Wylie, are heard.

Other court personnel work in the Moss Center, including the Office of the Public Defender, 16th District Solicitors (prosecutors) for the State of South Carolina, Magistrates, and the Clerk of Court for York County.

May 2, 2020

Reasonable Suspicion: Can you give police the Middle Finger?

by Carolina Attorneys

Shawn Patrick Ellis created quite a kerfuffle in more ways than one.

His defiant middle finger and later refusal to identify himself to law enforcement resulted in a Superior Court criminal conviction for Resisting Officers.

On a day focused on NC court closures, continuances, and the Coronavirus, Justice Robin Hudson delivered an opinion addressing the legality of giving someone the middle finger.

April 3, 2020

FALSE ACCUSATIONS – Defenses to allegedly committing a crime

by Carolina Attorneys

Being accused of wrongdoing and allegedly committing a crime when you’re innocent is disturbing at best.

Your good name and reputation in the community are at stake.

Even if found not guilty or the criminal charges are ultimately thrown out or dismissed, false allegations can affect your freedom, your future, and how you’re treated by friends and neighbors.

March 13, 2020

NC Court Update – Coronavirus

by Carolina Attorneys

Will my case be continued?

This morning at 11:00 a.m., the Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court formally announced her Order regarding the Coronavirus. It will affect court calendars, continuances, and future settings in North Carolina.

The procedures and protocols apply statewide, involving a substantial number of civil matters and criminal charges in Charlotte, N.C.

March 2, 2020

I’m not going to shake your hand

by Carolina Attorneys

If I say “hey” and smile, I’m genuinely glad to see you. But I’m not going to shake your hand.

Greeting my friend Tom, a Gastonia lawyer in court this morning, I offered him an “elbow bump.”

He at first looked quizzically at me, then quickly bumped elbows saying:

February 11, 2020

Can I get my DWI charges thrown out?

by Carolina Attorneys

If you’ve been arrested and charged with an offense involving “drunk driving,” we think it’s a really good idea to have a Charlotte DWI lawyer standing by your side in court.

The consequences of a possible conviction are such that you should begin your defense without delay.

Good decisions are predicated on obtaining good information.

January 16, 2020

DWI and ETHICS CLE

by Carolina Attorneys

December 13, 2019

DWI Fatality Charges

by Carolina Attorneys

DWI fatality and homicide cases, those involving murder, manslaughter, and felony death by vehicle charges in Mecklenburg County are handled by a special team of prosecutors.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors alike refer to it as the “Homicide Team.”

The lawyers in Charlotte who comprise the DA Homicide Team are some of the most seasoned courtroom attorneys I know. If you have a matter with the Homicide Team, it’s a serious criminal charge and one that deserves careful consideration by a defense attorney with substantial courtroom experience- Bill Powers

November 11, 2019

Drug Trafficking Charges

by Carolina Attorneys

Union County law enforcement officials report the recent seizure of 4 kilos of cocaine and $9,000 in cash, resulting in drug trafficking charges.

While most people understand drug charges in North Carolina can carry serious consequences, an arrest and indictment for “trafficking” may come as a surprise.

Unlike other felony drug charges, trafficking can be a bit more straightforward, if not simplistic.

October 1, 2019

Trafficking Heroin – Confidential Informant Tip Hearsay – North Carolina v. Patricia Camillo Palacios

by Carolina Attorneys

Hearsay, Tips, and Confidential Informant Evidence in trafficking charges in North Carolina can be the basis for the issuance of a search warrant and further investigation into alleged criminal activity.

Courts, prosecutors, and Charlotte criminal lawyers alike carefully review such materials, as may be made part of a Motion for Discovery, due to the potential impact and/or suppression of evidence seized pursuant to a search.

In the event a Search Warrant is predicated on information provided by a confidential informant, tip, hearsay, or another out-of-court statement, the reliability, and veracity of information provided may, in appropriate circumstances, serve as a basis for either a Motion to Suppress and a Motion of Dismiss, depending on the nature, level, and extent of constitutional violations.

Carolina Law Blog

Will my case be continued?