Carolina?Quick Take: North Carolina v. Branham shows that guilty pleas in North Carolina do not automatically preserve appellate rights, but certiorari may sometimes fill the gap.
The Court of Appeals held no statutory right existed to appeal a denied immunity motion after a guilty plea.
I’d already had a rough day when I got the text from my wife sharing Fergie passed. 
“Dang,” was the only thing I could respond.
I was without words.
Intermittent fasting has gained popularity for a range of personal and medical reasons, from weight management and metabolic 
health to religious observance and athletic discipline. While it may offer certain physiological benefits, fasting also triggers changes in the body’s metabolic pathways that may complicate the interpretation of forensic alcohol testing in DWI cases.
This can become relevant in North Carolina, where the outcome of driving while impaired charges hinge on the reliability of breath or blood alcohol test results.
Defense attorneys, prosecutors, judges, and forensic experts are occasionally called to consider whether intermittent fasting affects the body’s internal chemistry and the resulting reported BAC.
If you’re facing charges in North Carolina, there’s a good chance your case will not be resolved on the first court date, and therefore, 
you will need a continuance. It might be continued again, and again after that. Whether you’re charged with DWI in Mecklenburg County or facing a felony in Union County, continuances are part of the system.
Some clients ask, “Why is my case taking so long?” not realizing that continuances often help the defense more than they help the State. They wonder if the judge is overlooking something or if the system just doesn’t care. Some assume a continuance means something is wrong. In reality, it’s usually the opposite.
In criminal and DWI courtrooms across North Carolina, continuances are rarely about delay for its own sake. They result from crowded dockets, incomplete discovery, unavailable officers or witnesses, scheduling conflicts, or system failures that no one in the courtroom controls.
For years, the Drug Recognition Evaluator (DRE) protocol has relied on a structured set of physical observations to evaluate suspected drug impairment. Among these, the presence of eyelid tremor has been taught as a supposed sign of recent cannabis use. In practice, that means law enforcement officers conducting roadside evaluations or testifying in court may point to an eyelid tremor as evidence supporting probable cause or impairment. But as a recent study published in Clinical Toxicology makes clear, the scientific foundation for this assumption is, at best, unproven. At worst, it is affirmatively misleading.
In a 2024 peer-reviewed clinical research article by George Sam Wang and colleagues, the authors conducted a carefully controlled, blinded study to evaluate whether eyelid tremor could reliably and accurately be identified as a marker of recent cannabis use. The conclusion was clear. Eyelid tremor does not correlate with cannabis ingestion in a scientifically defensible way. Inter-rater reliability was poor to moderate. Specificity was dismal. And perhaps most importantly for DWI defense lawyers, the entire protocol used by officers to “spot” this supposed indicator would not come close to passing scientific muster in any peer-reviewed laboratory setting.
Improper Equipment is a non-moving violation in North Carolina that can sometimes be used to resolve a speeding ticket or other traffic charge. While getting pulled 
over is frustrating, a bigger problem may come later with DMV points, insurance hikes, and in some cases, the risk of license suspension.
In appropriate circumstances, resolving the ticket as “Improper Equipment” can be helpful. Known informally as “IE,” it isn’t available in every case, but when used properly, it can protect your record and help keep your insurance rates in check.
If you’ve been issued a traffic ticket in Mecklenburg County or Union County NC, the Powers Law Firm PA is available to answer your questions and possibly help. Please TEXT or call 704-342-4357.
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 a lawyer will do that. So will running a firm.
Grey hair isn’t a metaphor. It’s evidence. It’s what happens when you practice law long enough to be responsible not just for your own caseload, but for other lawyers in the firm, other families, and the next generation trying to learn how to do this work the right way.
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 how long it is expected to last.
This post explains how many criminal defense lawyers in North Carolina ordinarily set fees, what types of billing structures are common, and what is typically included and not included in those legal fees. Our goal is to give you a clear understanding of what to expect and how the process works.
While there is no statewide fee chart, a lot of private attorneys charge flat fees tailored to the specifics of your case.
One of the most common misconceptions in criminal cases is the belief that charges will automatically be dismissed if police fail to read Miranda rights. That belief, often shaped by television and popular culture, rarely reflects how Miranda operates under North Carolina criminal law.
Miranda rights are an important constitutional protection, but they apply only in specific circumstances. Understanding when Miranda warnings are required, and when they are not, can materially affect how a criminal case unfolds.
If you’ve been charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle in Mooresville or felony death by vehicle in the Charlotte metro region, it’s a good idea to consult an experienced North Carolina criminal defense lawyer. The criminal defense legal team at Powers Law Firm understands the intricacies of vehicular homicide cases and may be available to serve as legal counsel and guide you through your legal options. Call or TEXT 704-342-4357 to schedule a confidential consultation.
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 supported the new Constitution as written, and Anti-Federalists, who feared it granted too much unchecked power to a central government.
The absence of a clear list of guaranteed individual rights in the federal Constitution became a focal point. North Carolina’s citizens
had fresh memories of British abuses of power before and during the Revolutionary era. They worried that without explicit protections, such as safeguards against arbitrary searches and seizures or other infringements, a new federal government might oppress the people just as past tyrannies had. This concern for fundamental liberties set the stage for North Carolina’s insistence on a Bill of Rights.
Carolina Criminal Defense & DUI Lawyer Updates