J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?”
The Chinese government is in the midst of revising and reissuing various criminal statutes. The changes are wide-ranging and impact dozens of categories of crimes, leading to a sweeping overhaul of criminal laws in the most populous country on earth. One of those categories being overhauled concerns sexual offenses and, more specifically, the definition of rape.
Charlotte DWI and Criminal Defense Attorney J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question: What are the long term effects of being convicted of a crime?
Police officers in North Carolina are on alert after a recent incident of vandalism left many unsettled. The graffiti wasn’t merely an eyesore, but instead advocated for members of the community to physically harm police officers. Now the local police chief is saying he thinks the behavior goes beyond simple vandalism and ought to be considered a hate crime. To find out more about the recent incident, including what qualifies as a hate crime under North Carolina law, keep reading.
Charlotte DWI and Criminal Defense Attorney J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What is an expungement?”
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is currently considering moving forward with a plan that could lead to those convicted of certain crimes from being banned from entering certain parts of town for up to a year. The plan calls for the creation of “public safety zones” similar to prostitution-free zones that were created by the police department nearly 10 years ago. Critics have said that not only are the proposed public safety zones unconstitutional, but they’ve been shown to be ineffective in reducing crime.
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Should I talk to the police?”
The internet has made many things easier, whether it’s searching for information, ordering clothes or wasting time watching movies. Though most of these are positive innovations, not everything that the internet touches improves. One thing that has become frighteningly easy thanks to the internet and the abundance of social media is stalking. Obsessed individuals have a nearly limitless number of ways to not only gather information about their victims, but to threaten and harass them as well.
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?”
Joanna Madonna was found guilty of first-degree murder on Monday, September 28th, in what had been a highly publicized trial in the North Carolina capital. The former Wake County schoolteacher and 48-year-old mother was sentenced to life in prison for the Father’s Day murder of her husband Jose Perez. Madonna was convicted of first-degree murder, which means the jury found that Madonna acted maliciously and with premeditation. The jury found that Madonna took her husband, who was a recovering alcoholic with serious health issues, on a drive through northern Wake County, shot and stabbed him, and left him to die in a ditch.
Charlotte DWI Lawyer Brad Smith answers : I was found not guilty of a charge, but my record still shows the charge
Today marks the start of the Supreme Court’s new term. Last year was a remarkable year, with important decisions touching on issues such as healthcare, gay marriage and privacy rights. This year appears to be no less interesting; with the court announcing that it would hear a range of controversial cases including ones on abortion rights and affirmative action. Amidst the more attention-getting cases, there are others of equal importance, including a very interesting one in the criminal realm about just how seriously the Sixth Amendment ought to be taken.
J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Should I talk to the police?”
When most people think of detective work, they think of a scene out of Law & Order, with police officers kicking in doors or interviewing witnesses. While that’s certainly true in some cases, detectives are forced to adapt to and keep up with rapid technological change as much as those in any other industry. Detective work today happens online and, more specifically, on social media sites with more regularity than many people imagine. This access to the internet and to social media websites can prove incredibly useful to officers in some cases and frustrating in others.
Charlotte DWI and Criminal Defense Attorney J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Can the police search my car without a warrant?”
A Massachusetts teenager has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after evidence was discovered that the girl sent text messages to her boyfriend encouraging him to commit suicide. Conrad Roy III tragically took his own life in 2014 outside a Massachusetts K-Mart. Roy died inside his truck, and the cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning.
Charlotte DWI Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: What are the long term effects of being convicted of a crime?
Marijuana legalization is a concept that went from seemingly impossible to near mainstream in the span of only a few years. Washington and Colorado were among the early movers that have paved the way for other states who are now taking the plunge. Oregon, though not the first to abolish legal consequences for growing, possessing and buying marijuana, has taken a step ahead of other states by tackling the issue of criminal records of those with marijuana-related crimes.
Charlotte DWI and Criminal Defense Attorney J. Bradley Smith of Arnold & Smith, PLLC answers the question “Can the police search my car without a warrant?”
When the U.S. Open tennis tournament concluded last weekend in New York, one of the tournament’s major storylines had nothing to do anything that happened on a tennis court. Retired tennis player James Blake, once ranked No. 4 in the world, was leaning on a column in front of the Grand Hyatt hotel in New York when he was rushed by undercover police officer James Frascatore and forced to the ground.
Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Blog
