Can an Office harassment lawyer help with retaliation claims?
Experiencing workplace harassment can be stressful, but retaliation after reporting misconduct can make the situation even more difficult.…
Experiencing workplace harassment can be stressful, but retaliation after reporting misconduct can make the situation even more difficult.…
working hours for a federally regulated employee Understanding workplace rules is important for both employers and workers, especially…
Losing a job unexpectedly can be stressful, especially when you believe the termination was unfair. Meeting a Wrongful…
severance pay required for involuntary retirement Is severance pay required for involuntary retirement? This question often arises when…
Workplace harassment lawyer help with retaliation claims Experiencing harassment or retaliation at work can be emotionally and professionally…
Several criminal statutes include the provision that a person who commits the offense prescribed is guilty of a…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on September 3,…
Jasveen Sangha, dubbed the “Ketamine Queen,” pled guilty on Wednesday to selling Matthew Perry the drugs that resulted…
In light of the recent Court of Appeals opinion State v. Moore, this post is a follow-up to…
hire employment lawyer Toronto When facing workplace challenges, many individuals often wonder how long it may take to…
A few months ago, I blogged about the legislative changes that took effect last year surrounding the processing…
For the third week, federal forces continue to perform law enforcement duties in the District of Columbia pursuant…
In February, I blogged about State v. Thomas, 295 N.C. App. 564 (2024), and whether law enforcement can…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Supreme Court released on August 22, 2025.…
A new school year is upon us and students across North Carolina are back in classrooms and on…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on August 20,…
Erik Menendez was denied parole by a panel of California commissioners yesterday. He and his brother Lyle were…
I am excited to share this year’s annual report from the North Carolina Judicial College. Taking stock of…
This post summarizes published criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during…
President Trump deployed the D.C. National Guard, took control of the Metropolitan Police Department, and reassigned FBI agents…
I’m happy to announce the availability of the Second Edition of Probation Violations in North Carolina. The book…
My colleagues have been blogging about some of the changes to our criminal law wrought by recent legislation.…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on August 6,…
The town of Wendell, NC, recently purchased two drones and associated equipment for $20,000 to support the police…
The North Carolina Judicial College was founded in 2005 to expand the education and training the School of…
The legislature enacted a raft of changes this summer to motor vehicle and criminal law. This post examines…
When a person is arrested, a law enforcement officer must take that person before a judicial official without…
Law enforcement officers have long been authorized to search a person incident to the person’s arrest. But the…
If you thought it was only corner-cutting lawyers and tech-savvy college students that were relying on artificial intelligence…
As regular readers know, the General Assembly passed a slew of statutes affecting our criminal law this summer,…
Several times a year, I teach different groups about criminal domestic violence laws in North Carolina. Last year,…
In case you missed it, I wanted to remind folks that the Public Defense Education team here, with…
A few weeks ago, the General Assembly passed, and the Governor signed into law, S.L. 2025-71. The bill…
The Alamo announced last week that it’s got Pee-wee’s stolen red bicycle, as foretold in the 1985 film…
Special thanks to Sloan Godbey, Summer Law Fellow at UNC SOG, for their significant contributions to this post.…
Back in February, the Court of Appeals decided State v. Nanes, COA24-487, ___ N.C. App. ___; 912 S.E.2d…
The law that governs which cases begin under juvenile jurisdiction changed three times between 2019 and 2025. Each…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on July 16,…
One of the top stories this week was the announcement by the Department of Justice that they intend…
My colleague Joe Hyde blogged last week about the Court of Appeals’ determination in State v. Tate, __…
This post summarizes published criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during…
Municipal police have many duties, sometimes including enforcing municipal ordinances. Municipalities without their own police departments typically rely…
Floods have gripped the nation. From Texas, to New Mexico, to here in central North Carolina, severe floods…
Today’s post reviews the latest Structured Sentencing Statistical Report from the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission.…
Last month, the School of Government’s Criminal Justice Innovation Lab released a new report evaluating the implementation of…
After State v. Singleton, 386 N.C. 183 (2024), an indictment is not rendered facially invalid by failure to…
ask a severance pay lawyer Toronto When meeting with a severance pay lawyer Toronto for the first time,…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on July 2,…
In State v. Aspiote, ___ N.C. App. ___ (May 21, 2025), the North Carolina Court of Appeals determined…
After law enforcement arrests someone, they must take that person before a judicial official “without unnecessary delay” pursuant…
A new Administration of Justice Bulletin on Double Jeopardy in North Carolina is now available. I previously posted…
Former Durham Bull Wander Franco was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic this…
Character evidence is one of the most challenging areas of evidence law to navigate, as Jessie Smith observes…
Dispositional orders in delinquency cases must contain “appropriate findings of fact and conclusions of law.” G.S. 7B-2512(a). What…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on June 18,…
Two immigration enforcement bills have passed at the General Assembly and are now on Governor Josh Stein’s desk.…
In North Carolina, a person must be indicted by a grand jury or must waive the right to…
If you’re working to protect vulnerable adults in your community, you know how important it is to have…
This post summarizes published criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during…
Law enforcement officers may mislead suspects during questioning. For example, an officer may falsely tell a suspect that…
The Trump administration sued the state of New York on Thursday over a law that blocks immigration officials…
Under G.S. 15A-1380.5, a law that existed from late 1994 to late 1998, North Carolina defendants sentenced to…
In May, the North Carolina Statewide Court Appearance Project Committee released their Final Report with recommendations to promote…
The defendant in State v. Meadows, No. COA24-149 (N.C. Ct. App. May 7, 2025), was convicted of murder…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on June 4,…
Multiple acts of mass violence plagued the country this week. In Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, a man attacked…
Criminal law practitioners may recall that in 2021 the General Assembly amended G.S. 15A-1215(a) to permit the substitution…
Later this summer, we will be publishing a new Administration of Justice Bulletin, The Law of Vehicle Seizure…
North Carolina General Statute 50B-3.1 provides that, under certain circumstances, a person who is subject to a DVPO…
If you’re a police officer, a correctional officer, a probation/parole officer, a juvenile court counselor, or a juvenile…
The top story this week is that Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton has been charged with DUI,…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Supreme Court released on May 23, 2025.…
I recently had the opportunity to watch a webinar on the latest research about how protective factors and…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on May 21,…
On Wednesday, the Justice Department announced it is planning to drop investigations into nearly two dozen police departments…
Suppose you are a defender representing a client charged with Possession of Firearm by Felon. You receive a…
Derek was twenty years old when he suffered a stroke. He lost and then subsequently regained his ability…
This post summarizes published criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during…
New data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that drug overdose deaths in the…
An immigration detainer is one of the key tools that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) uses to apprehend…
A defendant who claims self-defense is generally permitted to offer evidence of the victim’s prior violent conduct if…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on May 7,…
Post-release supervision has been mandatory for all felonies since 2011. But rarely if ever does anyone mention it…
The Alabama Governor signed legislation on Tuesday, establishing a new shark alert system that warns beachgoers when a…
There are six sentencing levels for Driving While Impaired (DWI) convictions. A defendant is only exposed to the…
Serving as a confidential informant can be dangerous, whether the informant is an adult or underage. As to…
The top national story this week is that the Supreme Court just heard oral argument in a case…
The North Carolina Constitution historically mandated trial by jury in all criminal cases in superior court. See N.C.…
I read a news article some time ago about officers who investigate suspected prostitutes by going undercover and…
The top story this week is that country music star Jelly Roll has been recommended for a pardon…
A common evidence question that arises is how to properly authenticate digital communications. We have written on the…
faz um Advogado Previdenciário Em dezembro de 2018, após cinco anos de dedicação intensa à faculdade de Direito,…
Does the law regarding motor vehicle seizure when a person is charged with felony speeding to elude arrest…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on April 16,…
Three chapters in the criminal law section of the Superior Court Judges’ Benchbook recently have been updated. Among…
This post summarizes published criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during…
A couple of weeks ago, the Supreme Court decided Bondi v. VanDerStok, 604 U.S. __ (2025). It is…
employer with a Toronto lawyer If you believe that your employer has violated your rights or mistreated you…
A woman was babysitting a child near Great Bend, Kansas, when the child she was watching complained of…
This post is about the recurring issue of the requirement for a court to make findings of “good…
The defendant in State v. Bell, No. 86A02-2 (N.C. March 21, 2025), failed to object to gender-based discrimination…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on April 2,…
On Wednesday, the Michigan Supreme Court held in a 5-1 opinion that the odor of marijuana alone isn’t…
The National Center for State Courts (NCSC) recently published a report addressing “unprecedented challenges” facing juries and jury…
It has long been held that the allowable unit of prosecution for an offense is within the discretion…
Best Corporate Lawyer in Dubai The Best Corporate Lawyer in Dubai possesses a unique combination of expertise, experience,…
Earlier last month, the Court of Appeals decided State v. Watlington, COA23-1106, ___ N.C. App. ___ (2025). Among…
On Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal regulation requiring, among other things, that those who make…
Increasingly, public defender offices are bringing social workers in-house. As part of a growing interest in holistic defense,…
The Interstate Compact for Juveniles (ICJ) is a binding compact that establishes the law that governs the interstate…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the Supreme Court of North Carolina released on March 21,…
Today is GiveUNC day, the university’s annual one-day fundraising event for alumni, faculty, staff, supporters, and fans of…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on March 19,…
Hundreds of Venezuelan immigrants were summarily deported from the United States to a prison in El Salvador last…
A trial judge has broad discretion regarding whether to accept a defendant’s guilty plea entered pursuant to a…
file a wrongful dismissal claim if I was unfairly treated If you were unfairly treated at work and…
I have been covering developments around the legalization of hemp in North Carolina since 2018. Never did I…
This post summarizes published criminal law and related cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during…
Riley v. California, 573 U.S. 373 (2014), holds that the contents of a cell phone may not be…
The news story that captured my attention this week is not exactly, or not entirely, a criminal law…
Under G.S. 15A-1346(b), a sentencing court has the authority to order a probationary sentence to run consecutively to…
The defendant in State v. Greenfield, No. COA23-597 (N.C. Ct. App. Feb. 19, 2025), argued the trial court…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on March 5,…
A man is scheduled to be executed by firing squad this evening, which would be the first firing…
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the circumstances in which one judge may pick up case-related duties…
In previous posts, I’ve addressed the expedited scheduling requirements and opportunities for permanent release of motor vehicles seized…
The Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution limits the use of testimonial hearsay statements…
We have covered the extensive post-conviction and appellate proceedings of Richard Glossip’s death sentence many times before on…
Last September, the Court of Appeals decided State v. Thomas, No. COA23-210, __ N.C. App. __ (2024), a…
Beginning with offenses committed on or after January 1, 2025, new laws are in effect regarding the standard…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on February 19,…
impact of lawyer harassment at work Lawyer harassment at work can have a profound effect on productivity, both…
Seven men are charged with stealing millions from the homes of six professional athletes across the country, as…
Questions sometimes arise in criminal cases about whether a new judge may pick up duties initially undertaken by…
This post summarizes published criminal law cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during January 2024.…
Some time ago, I received an email from a researcher asking whether a minor may consent to the…
After a two-week evidentiary hearing last February, and closing arguments delivered in August, Superior Court Judge Wayland Sermons…
There are about 10,000 people on post-release supervision (PRS) in North Carolina. Some of them get charged with…
For most citizens in North Carolina magistrates are the “first face” of the judicial system. They serve the…
A new Administration of Justice Bulletin on Aggregation of Financial Crimes is now available. I previously posted about…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on February 5,…
Tuesday night, Pam Bondi was confirmed by the United States Senate as the Attorney General of the United…
This post summarizes a criminal law decision published by the U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 21, 2025. Due…
In every case where a person is charged with felony speeding to elude arrest pursuant to G.S. 20-141.5(b)…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the Supreme Court of North Carolina released on January 31,…
I’ve enjoyed quite a few books by John Grisham. I liked some of his early fiction a great…
The lead story this week is the sentencing of former U.S. senator Bob Menendez on Wednesday to 11…
The castle doctrine statute, G.S. 14-51.2, provides that it is presumptively reasonable for the lawful occupant of a…
Does the law that makes personally identifiable arrest information a public record apply to the arrest of a…
I recently had the opportunity to travel to Spain, where I networked with academic colleagues, gave a talk…
On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump was indicted for a third time. Trump previously was indicted in New…
On August 22, 2023, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm EST, the UNC School of Government Criminal Justice…
I recently participated in a webinar with my colleagues Chris McLaughlin and Kirk Boone about the right of…
Last month the General Assembly enacted new G.S. 20-141.10 criminalizing so-called street takeovers. S.L. 2023-97. A street takeover…
This post summarizes published criminal law and related decisions from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals released in…
As one of his first acts as in office, President Trump issued sweeping pardons and commutations for the…
The First Amendment permits criminal punishment for speech only when it falls within an established exception. True threats,…
I recently completed a series of posts on issues surrounding confidential informants (“CI’s”), discovery, and motions to reveal…
Severance Pay Calculator Based on My Years of Service The amount of severance pay an employer will offer…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on August 15,…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on January 15,…
This post summarizes published criminal law cases released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during December 2024.…
Solicitor and Barrister for My Divorce During divorce cases involving domestic violence, there are unique emotional and legal…
Former President Donald Trump was indicted on Monday for the fourth time. A Fulton County grand jury returned…
One of the more common questions I receive about the transfer of a case from juvenile jurisdiction to…
As a general rule, most defendants are entitled to have conditions of pretrial release set without unnecessary delay,…
Yesterday, former President Trump turned himself in at the Fulton County jail in Atlanta to be booked on…
Every law student learns that state civil cases may be “removed” to federal court under certain conditions –…
I am saddened to share news of the tragic shooting that took place on the UNC’s campus Monday,…
A few weeks ago, I wrote about one part of S.L. 2023-97 (S 91), which prohibited street takeovers.…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the Supreme Court of North Carolina released on September 1,…
This morning, President Biden announced that he will commute the sentences of nearly 2,500 inmates serving long prison…
In September 2023, then-Governor Roy Cooper appointed Allison Riggs to fill a vacancy on the North Carolina Supreme…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on September 5,…
With a teaser like that, who could resist reading more? The 2025 edition of my online guide to…
A convicted murderer remains on the lam in the suburbs of Philadelphia following his escape from jail last…
North Carolina is a bilateral conspiracy jurisdiction. Defining conspiracy as a combination of two or more persons to…
In preparation for some upcoming teaching, I’ve been brushing up on anticipatory search warrants. Such warrants authorize a…
I am pleased to announce that the updated chapters in the Criminal Series of the Clerks’ Manual are…
Presented with an appalling set of facts, the North Carolina Supreme Court unanimously upheld the defendant’s convictions for…
Last month, my colleague Jeanette Pitts blogged about the new Pretrial Integrity Act enacted under S.L. 2023-75 (H…
A recent court of appeals case, State v. Calderon, ___ N.C. App. ___ (2023), sets forth a new…
A convicted murderer who escaped from prison in Pennsylvania and remained on the loose for two weeks was…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on September 12,…
In the waning weeks of his four-year term, President Biden announced commutations of 37 of 40 federal death…
This post summarizes published criminal and related decisions released by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals during August…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on September 19,…
On Monday, Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail. A provision of the state’s criminal justice…
Session Law 2023-114 includes many provisions that change the law governing delinquency cases. This is the first in…
Law enforcement has authority to seize a person’s motor vehicle in several circumstances. Motor vehicles may be seized…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on December 31,…
Several provisions of the 2023 Appropriations Act (H 259) ratified by the General Assembly last week (which is…
The opioid crisis seems to be getting worse every year. NCDHHS reports that in 2021, over 4,000 North…
On New Year’s Eve, the North Carolina Court of Appeals issued an opinion in No Limit Games, LLC…
Law enforcement officers in Philadelphia arrested more than 50 people Tuesday night after a flash mob ransacked dozens…
The School of Government has published a new resource on initial appearances and pretrial release. Although any judicial…
Law enforcement and the communities they serve want effective responses to crime and other problems. They want policing…
This post summarizes the published criminal opinions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals released on October 3,…
After more than 25 years, an arrest has been made in the killing of the rapper Tupac Shakur,…
The answer would seem to be obvious. A person is guilty of forcible rape if the person engages…