by Michelle Sparrow | Aug 19, 2014 | Criminal Law Blog, Theft Crimes
A charge of shoplifting is more serious than you’d think. Shoplifting is classified as both a nonviolent property crime and a civil wrong, so the defendant may face up to four months in jail for a criminal conviction and civil damages of as much as $1,000 for a... by Michelle Sparrow | May 9, 2014 | Criminal Law Blog, Theft Crimes
If you’ve ever played the lottery in North Carolina, then the price you paid for a ticket went to fund the state’s education system. That is, unless you played without paying for a ticket. A young woman in Raleigh is accused of just that. Authorities claim... by Michelle Sparrow | Jan 9, 2013 | Criminal Defense, Criminal Law Blog
A law went into effect on Dec. 1, 2012, that should have a positive impact on many North Carolina residents who were convicted of certain nonviolent crimes years ago. Until recently, their criminal records have affected their job prospects, their applications for car... by Michelle Sparrow | Jul 7, 2012 | Criminal Defense, Criminal Law Blog
The North Carolina General Assembly accomplished this week what some state lawmakers have been trying to do for a decade. Both the House and the Senate approved a bill that will allow the courts to wipe the slate clean for some nonviolent offenders. Not only will... by Michelle Sparrow | Jul 13, 2011 | Criminal Defense, Criminal Law Blog
We were talking about a new law in North Carolina that will allow 16- and 17-year-olds to ask the courts to have their criminal records expunged. The crimes in question must be nonviolent felonies. Violent crimes will stay on their records. The new law only applies to...