News from the Charlotte Observer of a suspicious summer course offering at UNC-Chapel Hill shows that a class with no instruction time was created just days before the summer semester began which was filled exclusively with football players. The records show that in the summer of 2011, 19 students signed…
Raleigh police have a new weapon in their arsenal to track down criminals: a device mounted on a patrol car that automatically scans license plates, looking for cars that have been reported stolen. The system is known as Automated License Plate Recognition and is made up of four cameras atop…
According to an article with CBSNews, former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has been found guilty of child sexual abuse. The jury in Pennsylvania deliberated for nearly 21 hours before handing down its verdict which was guilty on 45 of 48 counts. The jury was composed of seven…
According to a recent article by WRAL, the North Carolina Racial Justice Act appears to be headed for repeal. SB 416, known as “An Act to Amend Death Penalty Procedures,” was passed by the North Carolina House of Representatives last week by a vote of 73-47, a veto-proof majority. More…
As a general rule, it’s a good idea to refuse a breath test if you ever find yourself pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving. The reason is that the breath test results often form the crux of the state’s DUI case against you. A breath test that indicates a…
A few months back the Supreme Court heard arguments surrounding two new cases up for review. Both involved the question of just how severe a penalty imposed on a juvenile offender must be before it is declared unconstitutionally cruel and unusual. The first case, Miller v. Alabama, involved a 14-year-old…
Many cases are resolved with a plea bargain long before they ever reach the courtroom. Plea bargains are important to prosecutors because they help efficiently clear dockets and allow them to prosecute more cases. They can also be beneficial to defendants by possibly allowing them to serve a lesser sentence…
Police in Florida are waiting for George Zimmerman to turn himself back into the police after his bail was recently revoked for lying to the judge in the case with regard to his finances. Zimmerman also withheld the fact that he possessed a second passport. Zimmerman maintains he was defending…
A former FBI agent has come forward to tell the authorities Kalvin Michael Smith should be given a new trial because the initial investigation into his case was seriously flawed. The agent’s name is Chris Swecker and he is the former assistant director of the criminal investigative division at the…
The use of electronic monitors as an alternative means of punishment in Charlotte is about to expand, despite the growing amount of negative media attention the program has received. The program costs taxpayers $35,000 a month and even though a few unruly participants have decided it was better for them…