North Carolina Criminal Lawyers

As the laws change and sentencing practices change, so too do the practices of North Carolina probation and parole officers. Major sentencing reform which happened in 1994 is now affecting those men and women being released from prison and therefore the officers tasked with supervising them. Likewise, more prison alternatives are being doled out by judges, leading to more and more people under probation supervision. [read more...]

North Carolina Sheriff’s are asking for unfettered and unprecedented access to patient data in the name of prescription drug law enforcement. While this would certainly make life easier for sheriff’s and police officers looking for patterns in the illegal prescription drug trade, it is a disaster for medical privacy and individuals. [read more...]

The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is under new leadership as the former chief was recently removed and placed in another position within the state’s Department of Justice. Her removal follows serious criticism of the crime lab under her direction and her recent acknowledgement of ignorance to many of the Bureau’s policies. [read more...]

North Carolina crime rates for 2009 are at the lowest rate in 25 years according to the Raleigh News-Observer. The state experienced the sharpest single year drop ever since they began collecting the data in 1973. Not surprisingly, however, no one can agree on what’s causing the decrease. [read more...]

A study was released this week analyzing the effectiveness of mental health courts on arrest rates. Recidivism is the term used to describe someone’s chances of being rearrested after entering the system. According to this Psychiatric News article, recidivism was significantly lower in people who were processed through mental health courts as opposed to traditional criminal courts. [read more...]

This weekend, Charlotte will hold its largest convention ever. Over 70,000 members of the National Rifle Association are expected to arrive in the city for two days of meetings, gun shows, and sharing of gun control views. On the other side of the spectrum, people are saying the NRA goes too far in promoting gun rights for all, even suspected terrorists. [read more...]