Displaying items by tag: law
Butterfield: Legalize marijuana and expunge pot convictions
Rep. G.K. Butterfield says Congress should remove federal restrictions on marijuana and North Carolina should legalize adult use and purge pot possession from criminal records.
DOJ charges more than 14,200 defendants with firearms related charges in FY20
GREENSBORO — Today, the Department of Justice announced it has charged more than 14,200 defendants with firearms-related crimes during Fiscal Year 2020, despite the challenges of COVID-19 and its impact on the criminal justice process.
Voter intimidation prohibited by law in North Carolina
RALEIGH — Ahead of early voting and Election Day, the State Board of Elections reminds all North Carolinians that voter intimidation and coercion are prohibited by state and federal law.
COLUMN: Law and disorder
Republicans are beside themselves with anger over the illegal toppling of Confederate monuments and the failure of Democrats like Gov. Roy Cooper stopping them. They railed against the lawlessness of the mobs invading cities. Donald Trump tweeted “LAW AND ORDER!” to signify his disdain for the protesters. Now, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is introducing a bill that would withhold federal funds from states that don’t defend monuments, including those to the Confederacy.
Sunshine Amendment could test lawmakers’ commitment to transparency
RALEIGH — N.C. Senate leaders say they value government transparency — especially given the COVID-19 pandemic. A bill recently filed in the House presents an opportunity for those senior officials to show commitment to the state’s “sunshine laws.”
COLUMN: A loophole for the lawless: 'Qualified immunity' must go
On Aug. 11, 2014, officers from the Caldwell, Idaho, Police Department asked for Shaniz West’s permission to enter and search her home. They were looking for her ex-boyfriend. West authorized the search and handed over her keys.
Doctor suing over Certificate of Need gets first court win
Decluttering criminal code would ease burden, experts say
RALEIGH — If North Carolina’s nebulous criminal code isn’t confusing enough, the “elephant” metaphors lawmakers use to describe them are even less enlightening.
ADA Dawn Layton appointed as superior court judge
Hands-free legislation brings questions of personal liberty, enforcement
RALEIGH — On a Tuesday in June, mothers who lost children to distracted driving took a minute to speak. The mothers stood alongside N.C. lawmakers, who are pushing for legislation requiring drivers to put down their phones.