by Michelle Sparrow | Mar 2, 2015 | Criminal Law Blog, Misdemeanors
We are talking about tax evasion, or the willful attempt to avoid paying a lawfully due tax. As a refresher from our last post, it’s a felony, and you can land in prison for as long as five years. The question, of course, is how the IRS figures out that someone... by Michelle Sparrow | Feb 27, 2015 | Criminal Law Blog, Misdemeanors
We say it often, but it bears repeating: In criminal law, intent is almost everything. You may knock someone out in a bar fight and find yourself in jail. If the prosecutor can prove that you hit the guy intending to kill him, you are facing much more serious charges.... by Michelle Sparrow | Dec 29, 2014 | Criminal Law Blog, Misdemeanors
We are wrapping up our discussion of changes to North Carolina’s criminal code that took effect on Dec. 1. The list looks a little haphazard — there is a trivia game in there somewhere: What do BB guns, Venus flytraps, inmates and cellphones have in... by Michelle Sparrow | Dec 24, 2014 | Criminal Law Blog, Misdemeanors
We are continuing our discussion of laws that went into effect on Dec. 1, and we thought it was time to look at the new law protecting the Venus flytrap. The North Carolina General Assembly, on the recommendation of conservation groups, has increased the penalty for... by Michelle Sparrow | Dec 19, 2014 | Criminal Law Blog, Misdemeanors
It seemed strange to be reading about the state’s law about BB guns so close to the second anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings. But here we are anyway. The North Carolina General Assembly’s revised BB gun law went into effect on Dec. 1. Adam Lanza, the...