Carolina Criminal Defense & DUI Lawyer Updates

Substitute expert testimony in North Carolina criminal cases continues to develop, as evidence in the May 2026 Court of Appeals decision in State v. Phillips.  A substitute expert may testify when the opinion comes from evidence the expert can independently review, such as photographs of visible injuries. The Confrontation Claus...

Stare decisis (“to stand by things decided”) sounds like a dry Latin phrase until the Supreme Court changes course in a way that affects constitutional rights, voting rules, criminal procedure, business regulation, privacy, speech, or the structure of government. Then the doctrine becomes something much larger than a law school defin...

If you have a criminal charge, a traffic matter, an impaired driving case in North Carolina, or a related legal issue that might affect your license, liberty, family, job, reputation, or future, knowing how to work effectively with a defense lawyer is an important first step. Lawyers focus on case analysis, strategy, negotiation, and courtroo...

The Supreme Court is expected to speak through opinions, orders, and the institutional habits of judging. Recent remarks by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Clarence Thomas suggest the Court’s internal divisions are spilling more openly into public view.

Sotomayor publicly apologized afte...

If a Chapter 50C no-contact order in North Carolina restricts speech, First Amendment concerns, including freedom of speech and the risk of an unlawful prior restraint, deserve attention. When alleged unlawful conduct is political commentary, criticism of a public figure, or public-facing social media activity, the analysis necessarily begins with a constitutional analysis.