Lately, getting both houses of Congress and the president to agree on anything seems like a victory -- even a federal spending bill. However, when President Obama signed the latest federal spending bill on Dec. 16, it did more than avert another government shutdown.
New law may have little effect on marijuana drug crime arrests
North Carolina Laura's Law increases DWI penalties
There is a law in North Carolina known as "Laura's Law" that increased the possible legal ramifications in some cases of driving while impaired. Enacted in 2011, the law was named after a teenager who was killed in an accident by a driver who was impaired. That driver had previously been convicted of DWI.
Changing a felony to a misdemeanor in North Carolina
If you are accused of a felony in North Carolina, the impact on your personal rights and your future can be very significant. Those who are convicted of felonies are barred from holding certain jobs, for example, or, in many instances, from owning firearms. The felony is going to sit on your permanent record, so it will show up if a potential employer decides to do a background check, and the job may go to someone else.
Legal definitions of sexual assault in North Carolina
Avoiding charges of sexual assault or rape in North Carolina becomes much easier when one understands what the legal definitions are in the state.
What is child pornography as defined by federal law?
A conviction on the charge of distributing child pornography can affect more than just a person's freedom. The stigma associated with any child sex crime is one that will not likely go away. This is true even if someone is found not guilty of the charge. Just an arrest can cause someone to lose his or her job, apartment or home and relationships with family and friends.
North Carolina drug treatment courts bring results
Lawmakers in North Carolina saw the writing on the wall and decided that something needed to be done about the substance abuse problems that plague the state's residents. The North Carolina General Assembly tasked the North Carolina Institute of Medicine with putting together task force to examine the substance abuse services that were available in the state.
White collar offenses like Ponzi schemes are federal crimes
In North Carolina, defendants can be prosecuted either in state or federal court, and sometimes both, depending on the circumstances and the crime.
Man wrongfully accused of sex crimes released from jail
For more than three months, a man from North Carolina spent his days in the Harnett County jail for sex crime charges he did not commit. Those charges have now been dismissed, but it has cost the man a great deal. According to news reports, the man lost his house in Willows Creek and his job with a $55,000 a year salary.
