Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Blog
Attorney J. Bradley Smith answering the question: “Can the police search my car without a warrant?”
A recent report published on the site ThinkProgress.org discovered that black people in Durham, North Carolina are more than twice as likely as white people to be searched after being pulled over for speeding. Even more amazing was that the results showed police were three times as likely to arrest a black person after a seat belt violation than they were to arrest a white person.
The mayor of Durham has responded to the results, saying that he is instituting an investigation into what appears to be clear evidence of racial profiling by police officers. The action was all prompted by the release of a University of North Carolina study that showed how blacks and Hispanics across the state were vastly more likely to be searched following a traffic stop than their white counterparts, something that has alarmed criminal defense attorneys as well as civil rights advocates.
Some critics of police tactics say that the results clearly demonstrate institutional racism on the part of some police departments in North Carolina. These critics point to results which found that black drivers were three times more likely to be arrested following a seat belt violation stop. Hispanics were also dramatically more likely to be arrested when drugs were discovered during a car stop while whites were more likely to receive a citation or a warning.
The results should serve as a stark warning to law enforcement agencies across the state about the danger of allowing bias to influence legal decisions. The results also unfortunately align with the opinion of many minorities who say they often feel profiled by police officers. A recent Gallup survey found that 25 percent of black people recalled feeling as if they had been treated unfairly by a police officer within the last 30 days.
According to the 
Police say Edwards faces charges of second-degree forcible sex, sexual acts with a student, taking indecent liberties with a minor and crimes against nature. The charges relate to incidents that occurred between 2009 and 2011 when Edwards is accused of molesting at least three boys between the ages of 11 and 14. One of the cases involved a middle schooler who was allegedly attacked while his parent sat just outside the door in the waiting area.
Woodall says that he hopes the trail he is blazing serves as a lesson to other prosecutors and says he hopes other states will follow his attempt at curbing improper agent conduct. Woodall says the activity can be quite harmful to athletes and athletic institutions in the long run and that too many law enforcement officials allow it go on with only a wink and a nod. Woodall says the law is the law and he intends to vigorously uphold it.
According to the aviation director at Charlotte Douglas, any vehicle that is dropped off at the airport’s curbside is subject to being searched. The airport admitted this is something it has been doing for the past year-and-a-half. The airport says that this is part of the facility’s security plan and has been approved of by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Airport officials admit that no signs are currently posted alerting passengers to the possibility that their cars may be searched, but say that are now planning on installing such signs.
After receiving repeated complaints, police say they launched an investigation into the matter and shortly thereafter spotted a man, Robert Morgan, picking up the woman in the parking lot of the church. Authorities say that 22-year-old Jessica Blackmon got into Morgan’s car and then drove to a convenience store and finally to a private residence in the area.
The arrest took place this past weekend when 29-year-old Danny Hemby was arrested by officers with the NCWRC. Officials say that they have filed eight criminal charges against Hemby, including two counts of selling a reptile on the federal endangered species list; two counts of owning and using venomous reptiles; possession of a reptile of special concern; sale of a reptile of special concern; unlawful possession of a reptile without a permit and finally, commercial taking certain reptiles.
According to authorities, Delcid-Almedare was arrested after fellow shoppers at a North Carolina flea market said they saw her lock her dog in the trunk of her car. One eyewitness said that he saw Delcid-Almedare walking her dog at the Barnyard Flea Market along Highway 51 near the state line when he then watched as the woman closed the dog in her vehicle’s trunk.
Police say that Pace forced his way in the museum through an exterior door. A fire alarm was then activated inside the Nature Research Center shortly after 3:30 in the morning. Security camera footage shows Pace, wearing a white jacket and dark clothing, using a nearby fire extinguisher to bust down the door to the museum.