by Michelle Sparrow | Dec 5, 2012 | Criminal Law Blog, Drunk Driving
North Carolina state law is clear: It is a crime to sell alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 21. Not only that, it is a crime for anyone under 21 to purchase liquor. Why is it, then, that 13 percent of the state’s youth told researchers they were able... by Michelle Sparrow | Dec 4, 2012 | Criminal Law Blog, Drunk Driving
A little more than a year after he and his friend were in a single-car accident in Durham, a former Duke University student stood in front of a judge and pleaded guilty to felony death by vehicle. Police reports indicate he had been driving 30 miles an hour above the... by Michelle Sparrow | Dec 2, 2012 | Criminal Law Blog, Drug Possession
Drug charges can vary widely in their prescribed sentencing. From a nonviolent possession crime that carries a fine and possible rehabilitation courses to a serious felony accompanied by decades in jail, the penal system features a graduated sentencing system based... by Michelle Sparrow | Dec 1, 2012 | Criminal Law Blog, Drunk Driving
Both the U.S. and the North Carolina constitutions prohibit unreasonable searches or seizures, right? And we know that police in Raleigh and everywhere else have to suspect that a driver is intoxicated before going ahead with field sobriety tests, especially... by Michelle Sparrow | Nov 29, 2012 | Criminal Law Blog, Drunk Driving
Police employ a number of methods when working to enforce vehicle laws. Both standard patrols and mandatory checkpoints are means with which officers keep watch over motorists, sometimes requiring a traffic stop of unsuspecting drivers, even if their driving has been...