If you were recently arrested and charged with DWI in North Carolina, you are probably wondering what happens next in the process. In this post, we will outline the steps of a DWI case for you and advise you on what to do next.

Your Arraignment

The first step after the arrest is your arraignment. This is a court hearing where a judge will read the charges against you. You will be asked to enter a plea. In most cases, your attorney will advise you to enter a plea of “not guilty.”

The [...]

A criminal record of prior run-ins with the law is a difficult burden to bear. Any prior arrests and court proceedings can easily be found via court record searches. This means that even if you were not convicted of a crime, you still suffer the consequences of having a highly stigmatized “black mark” on your record.

What kind of negative effects can this have?

Consequences of Living with a Criminal Record

A criminal record or prior arrests severely compromises your freedom in many ways. Background checks are routinely run for housing, employment, college [...]

A new domestic violence law went into effect on Dec. 1 in North Carolina. This law, dubbed Britny’s Law in honor of the original victim, will create harsher penalties for certain domestic violence convictions. Below, we’re going to explain how the new law came about and what it may mean if you are charged with domestic violence, then touch on a few other domestic violence bills recently signed by the governor.

The History of Britny’s Law

In November 2014, 22-year-old Britny Puryear was killed by her live-in boyfriend, Logan McLean, after four years [...]

With everything in the news lately, you’re probably well aware of the fact that our country is undergoing something of an awakening where sexual harassment is concerned. With all of the talk and so many prominent men getting ousted, you might be wondering exactly what constitutes sexual harassment in North Carolina and whether these acts qualify as sex crimes in our state.

The answer, unfortunately, is not straight forward. While sexual harassment itself isn’t necessarily a criminal act, certain types of harassment can be criminal. Below, we’re going to detail what behaviors are [...]

Even though North Carolina lawmakers define assault differently from assault and battery, they are charged the same way. Below, we will describe the difference between the two, along with the penalties for these charges, and defenses that can be used to fight back against them.

Assault in North Carolina

Under North Carolina law, a charge of assault applies when an attempt is made to commit assault and battery, or an offender uses a show of force to demonstrate that assault and battery is imminent. In other words, assault is essentially threatening to use [...]