Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can increase the risk of accidents. Not only do drugs and alcohol slow your reaction times, but they hinder your decision-making ability. If you would like to know more, check out these four commonly asked questions about DWI.
1. Will Your License Be Suspended?
In North Carolina, your license may be suspended for six months after a DWI, but it can be taken away for longer if you have multiple DWIs or were grossly negligent. You can usually get a hardship license, which allows you to drive to certain places, such as work, school, court-ordered treatment, community service, and church.
When it comes to crimes, there are many different levels and categories. One of the most basic ways crimes are categorized is through felony and misdemeanor classifications. If you would like to learn more about misdemeanors vs. felonies, keep reading.
Types of Misdemeanors
In North Carolina, misdemeanors are categories into four different groups: Class A1, Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3. Class A1 misdemeanors are the most serious offenses. They include domestic violence, assault, sexual battery, using a deadly weapon, etc. Class 3 offenses are less serious and include crimes like shoplifting.
Traffic violations are common, and nearly every driver has committed at least one. However, some traffic violations come with severe consequences, and the more traffic violations you rack up, the more consequences you may face. If you would like to learn more, check out these four possible consequences of traffic violations in North Carolina.
1. Fines
Traffic violations nearly always come with a fine, but the exact amount depends on the violation and the location of the violation. In North Carolina, however, there is an absolute speed limit, so even if you go one mile over the speed limit, you may get a ticket and fine. In most cases, the fine is $100 to $1,000.
Have you been injured on property that’s rented by another party? If so, one important part of securing the compensation you deserve for your injuries is to understand how premises liability relates to rented property. Premises liability is at the heart of who the law holds responsible for injuries and how to build a convincing case for damages. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Premises Liability?
Premises liability is the area of injury law that decides who is responsible for what happens on a piece of property. Because the owner of a property is considered to have a legal duty to care for the property and those on it, they may be held liable for accidents on the property. However, this liability is not a blanket coverage. It has exceptions as to who is covered and what can be included.
Possession of illegal drugs can lead to serious penalties, including fines and imprisonment, depending on the severity of the infraction, the drugs involved, the previous record of the offender, and other key circumstances in the case. Criminal drug possession may count as either a misdemeanor or a felony under North Carolina law.
If you find yourself charged with possession of a controlled substance in North Carolina, you need to understand what kind of charge you face, your legal defense options, and strategies for obtaining an optimal outcome. Start by considering the following frequently asked questions regarding drug possession charges.
How Does North Carolina Law Classify Different Controlled Substances?
Police officers are supposed to protect and serve the public, but everyone makes mistakes, including the most professional officers. These mistakes can often be used to help reduce your charges or even get your case thrown out entirely. If you would like to know more, check out these four common mistakes made by police.
1. Illegal Stops
An officer can’t just pull you over for no reason; they need reasonable suspicion. Therefore, if you are following all the laws of the road, an officer can’t just pull you over for no reason. However, if you are swerving, speeding, etc., they now have reasonable suspicion to pull you over. For example, just because an officer sees you leaving a bar, they can’t pull you over to see if you’re driving drunk. They would need to see signs of drunk driving first like swerving to lawfully stop you.
Speeding is one of the most common ways to get a traffic ticket. The best way to avoid a speeding ticket is to drive safely and obey speed limits. However, not everyone who speeds has the same risk of a speeding ticket. Below are seven things that increase your risk of getting a speeding ticket.
1. Extreme Speeding
Breaking the speed limit is bad. However, you face a high risk of a speeding ticket if you exceed the speed limit by a wide margin. Most police officers won’t ticket you for going a few miles per hour over the posted limit. For example, ticket risk is low if you drive at 65 mph in a 60 mph zone.
If you’ve been arrested and charged with a DWI, but you feel the charges are unfair, there are many defense options you can consider to help win your case or reduce your punishment if found guilty. If you would like to know more, check out these four defense options for your DWI charges.
1. No Probable Cause
An officer needs probable cause to pull you over and accuse you of driving while under the influence. Probable cause includes swerving, driving under the speed, speeding, judgment problems, etc. Once you’ve pulled over, the officer can continue looking for probable cause, including alcohol on your breath, slurring speech, difficulty rolling down window/getting out a license, slow response time, and much more.
If you have a criminal case, you should know that the court won’t just accept any evidence during your trial. The court can reject evidence from both the prosecution and defense. Below are some legal grounds that might make evidence inadmissible.
Hearsay
Hearsay refers to out of court statements repeated in court. The statements can be oral or written. Courts typically reject hearsay evidence since they amount to nothing more than gossip. Consider a case where you face criminal charges, and a friend alleges that they heard a mutual acquaintance declare your innocence. The court is likely to reject the testimony as hearsay.
The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives criminal defendants the right to a public trial. Although this right has numerous benefits, there are also several cases in which it doesn’t apply.
Police officers are supposed to protect and serve the public, but everyone makes mistakes, including the most professional officers. These mistakes can often be used to help reduce your charges or even get your case thrown out entirely. If you would like to know more, check out these four common mistakes made by police.
Speeding is one of the most common ways to get a traffic ticket. The best way to avoid a speeding ticket is to drive safely and obey speed limits. However, not everyone who speeds has the same risk of a speeding ticket. Below are seven things that increase your risk of getting a speeding ticket.
If you’ve been arrested and charged with a DWI, but you feel the charges are unfair, there are many defense options you can consider to help win your case or reduce your punishment if found guilty. If you would like to know more, check out these four defense options for your DWI charges.
If you have a criminal case, you should know that the court won’t just accept any evidence during your trial. The court can reject evidence from both the prosecution and defense. Below are some legal grounds that might make evidence inadmissible.