Wilmington Criminal Defense Law Blog

Members of the military are well aware they must obey military law and procedure. Training emphasizes zero tolerance for infractions. Consequences could result in mild to severe punishment, such as pay forfeiture, extra duty, brief correctional confinement, significant fines, reduction in rank, confinement ranging from a few months to years, a dishonorable discharge or a bad conduct discharge.

Military personnel is aware of sanctions and, in general, avoid them. There are times, however, when enlisted men or women violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and they can face a court-martial. Whether the person breaks the law deliberately or accidentally, military consequences occur. The severity of the infraction determines one of three possible levels of a court-martial.

If you are the parent of a North Carolina college student who is heading off to school in the fall, you are probably doing your best to steer your child in the right direction. Making sure your child makes sound decisions in your absence can dramatically improve your peace of mind once he or she leaves the nest. Additionally, it can also improve the chances that he or she will avoid getting into any trouble that could potentially impact financial aid.

If your child receives a conviction for a drug-related criminal charge, for example, this can potentially hinder his or her ability to continue to receive federal financial aid. Virtually any type of state or federal drug conviction can cause your child to lose financial aid, potentially leaving you on the hook to make up the difference.

You may feel that selling opioids and other synthetic drugs in Wilmington is a good gig for you to have. However, if you have not yet learned how unlawful the activity is, you may not realize how much you stand to lose. The law takes a strict stance against alleged drug dealers and individuals who sell and distribute them. Not only do you risk incarceration, but you may also end up having to live with the knowledge that your actions contributed to someone’s death. 

You may be under the impression that your charges will not stick because you are not dealing enough for the law to consider you a high-volume dealer. It does not matter how much you intended to sell or how much law enforcement accused you of selling or distributing. The penalties are harsh and lawmakers are working to revamp the laws to penalize small-time drug traffickers, sellers and distributors more. 

Many people in North Carolina assume that traffic stops are for motorists who speed, run red lights and disregard other traffic laws. Those infractions often only result in tickets, points on driving records and fines. There are some traffic crimes that are much more serious and can result in criminal misdemeanor or felony charges.

Under normal conditions, you can avoid injuring someone by paying attention and driving defensively. However, there may be circumstances in which you accidentally end up in a collision that causes minimal property damage. The moment you leave the scene of the accident, you have committed a crime and could end up facing a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge.