North Carolina’s Governor Cooper recently signed Executive Order 158, which will implement fair chance policies at state agencies. The Order, effective November 1, 2020, will increase employment opportunities for people with criminal records. The Order removes criminal history questions from state employment applications and prohibits inquiries into an individual’s criminal history during the initial stages…
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The COVID-19 pandemic has made things a little more difficult for couples wanting to separate and divorce in Charlotte. With court delays due to a temporary limit on operations and stay-at-home orders, many couples have considered the possibility of a “DIY” or uncontested divorce to move the process along. The NC court system reopened on…
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You may be aware of the general concept of trespassing, which involves intentionally intruding on the property of another person without his or her consent, but what you may not know is that NC law treats different types of trespassing in different ways, and each has separate requirements to prove your guilt. For example, trespassing…
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Family Law Cases and DWI Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Boating While Intoxicated (BWI) in NC One thing many people might not understand about a Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) charge – and subsequently a Boating While Intoxicated (BWI) charge – is the effect it can have on their child custody arrangement. DWI penalties are strict…
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If you and your spouse find yourselves coming out of quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic headed toward divorce or separation, you are not alone. In fact, experts believe there will be a wave of divorces filed across the country as quarantine is lifted for more and more states. Though they opened back up June 1,…
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Expungement is the process that seals or “erases” a conviction, charge, or arrest from public record. When an arrest or criminal conviction is expunged from a person’s record, they no longer have to disclose that information on an application for a job, apartment, or higher education. NC’s Second Chance Act: changes you need to know…
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As an American, you have the right to organize or join together with fellow citizens in protest and peaceful assembly. Though this First Amendment right is not absolute, the government cannot prohibit a public assembly at their own discretion. Time, place, and manner restrictions put in place by government institutions are permissible as long as…
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One common question, now that North Carolina has begun their phased reopening, is “Do I have to wear a mask while in public?” Update: Executive Order 147, effective June 26, 2020 Governor Cooper has signed Executive Order 147, which extends Phase 2 of reopening NC for three more weeks, as well as makes wearing face…
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The onset of the pandemic in the United States in early 2020 has renewed concerns regarding prison population overcrowding throughout the country, as well as heightened health and safety concerns among those incarcerated and their families. Requests for early release, compassionate release, and conversion to home confinement have flooded the justice systems in most states…
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The North Carolina General Assembly recently passed a COVID-19 relief bill, which was then signed by Governor Cooper. Included in this bill was nearly $1.6 billion in relief for public health and safety, educational needs, small business assistance, and continuing state government operations. Following the passage of those monetary relief measures, the General Assembly also…
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