Charlotte Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

The North Carolina Administrative Office Of The Courts in Raleigh recently initiated a statewide program to help jurors emotionally and psychologically cope after seeing disturbing evidence presented during trials. The program, known as the Jury Assistance Program, was developed especially to assist jurors who served on murder and sex-offense trials.

Jurors will be given access to , a password protected website which allows jurors to participate online in various services and discussion forums. Jurors will also be given toll-free contact numbers for licensed professionals as the judge deems necessary.

Continue reading "New N.C. Program Illustrates Importance of Jury's Perceptions" »

Pursuant to the amended NCGS 20-13.3, which took effect January 01, 2012, any driver age 16 or 17 who is charged with speeding more than 15 miles over the posted speed limit will be arrested and lose his/her provisional driver's license.

"Provisional Licensees" are subject to this statute, and include drivers ages 16 or 17, who have a limited learner's permit or a provisional license issued by NC DMV pursuant to G.S. 20-11. Drivers age 15 with a limited learner's permit are also considered provisional licensees. However, they are not subject to civil license revocation under NGGS 20-13.3 because the Juvenile Code prevents persons under 16 from being arrested.

Continue reading "Charlotte Teen Drivers Will Lose Driver's License Due to Speeding Under New Law" »

Chapel Hill council members voted 7-2 on February 20, 2012 to continue discussions regarding a cellphone ban while driving. The cellphone ban would prohibit hand-held phone calls while driving, or perhaps even hands-free phone calls. The town ordinance would be in effect for all roads within the town limits, including those that are owned by North Carolina. The ordinance would mandate a $25 fine for violations.

Supporters of the ban argue that it will help combat the dangers of driving and talking on mobile phones simultaneously. Supporters also argue that once violators encounter the $25 fine, they will be more apt to pay attention to their driving. The council will vote on the ban on March 12, 2012.

Continue reading "Proposed Cellphone Ban Raises Several Issues" »

Thursday, February 09, 2012, proved to be a busy morning in the Mecklenburg County courthouse for white collar convictions. John Knox Bridges plead guilty to several federal charges of securities fraud and money laundering. Spanning a period of four years, Mr. Bridges obtained over $2.3 million from individuals as a result of his fraudulent acts. Mr. Bridges frequently told individuals elaborate stories to obtain such funds, claiming that he needed the money because he was a victim of identity fraud or promising to invest the money in Texas Oil Companies on behalf of the defrauded individuals. Mr. Bridges is currently out of custody on bond, awaiting his sentencing hearing. Based on the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, Mr. Bridges faces between 57 and 71 months in prison.

In an unrelated case, Ricky Dean Hardee was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for tax evasion. From 2002 to 2007, Mr. Hardee operated a contracting business and instituted an elaborate scheme where he avoided paying $1.52 million in taxes.

Continue reading "Charlotte Area Cases Illustrate Complexities In White Collar Crimes" »

According to a new report from Transportation for America, Charlotte is the seventeenth most dangerous area for pedestrians. Transportation for America studied traffic patterns for 52 metropolitan areas with more than one million people from 2000-2009. The report indicates that 208 pedestrians were killed during this nine year period in Charlotte, accounting for 17 percent of all traffic fatalities in Mecklenburg County.

The report also indicated that Raleigh is the 13th most dangerous city for pedestrians. Charlotte and Raleigh are more dangerous than larger cities and more notorious cities with higher traffic such as Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York City. The report further indicated that pedestrian safety has declined over the past decade for many metropolitan areas and pedestrian deaths have risen. Transportation for American attributes these trends to the fact that pedestrian safety is not high on the priority list of many municipalities' concerns.

Continue reading "Charlotte Among Nation's Most Dangerous Cities for Pedestrians " »