There’s a persistent myth about criminal justice that criminal charges are straightforward, guilt is obvious, and if everyone simply did their job efficiently, cases would resolve in days rather than months or even years. This illusion persists until someone finds themselves or a loved one on the receiving end of…
The Promise of Digital Transformation: North Carolina’s Committment to Odyssey and eCourts The decision to implement the Odyssey court system in North Carolina was not presented as a choice. It was framed as inevitability. For years, lawyers in North Carolina relied on a patchwork of local systems that operated to…
They didn’t show up all at once. A little around the temples after a run of back-to-back felony trials. A little more after a long, sleepless night waiting for a jury to come back on a case that could have gone either way. Years of courtroom advocacy and life as…
How much does a criminal lawyer cost in NC? That is one of the first and most important questions people ask when they are facing charges. The answer depends on several factors, including the type of charge, whether it is a misdemeanor or felony, how complex the case is, and…
“They never read me my Miranda rights!” This is one of the most common statements criminal defense attorneys hear from clients who believe this oversight will automatically get their charges dismissed. Unfortunately, this widespread misconception, fueled by countless TV shows and movies, rarely reflects the reality of North Carolina criminal…
The Debate Over Ratification and the Demand for a Bill of Rights In the aftermath of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the proposed United States Constitution went to the states for approval. North Carolina emerged as a critical battleground in this ratification debate. Many North Carolinians were divided between Federalists, who…
The Rule of Law is not just a value, a tradition, or a preference. It is the operating principle of the United States government and the foundation upon which legal rights, public institutions, and constitutional safeguards depend. The Rule of Law in the United States does not mean that laws…
The Client Behind a Guilty Plea That I’ll Never Forget Some cases stay with you long after the courtroom clears. This is the story of a mentally ill client who entered a guilty plea in a murder case, and the extraordinary moments that followed. What he carried and what he…
Sentencing and Consequences of Felony Death by Vehicle Convictions Felony Death by Vehicle is classified as a Class D felony in North Carolina. While almost all Class D felonies require active prison time, there is an extremely important exception. N.C.G.S. § 20-141.4(b)(2) allows a judge to impose an intermediate sentence…
Every criminal defendant is entitled to a fundamentally fair trial. In North Carolina’s two-tier system, a defendant convicted in District Court (the lower criminal court) can seek an appeal from district criminal court to Superior Court for a fresh trial. But does this trial de novo appeal truly safeguard the…
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