Sixteen-year-old Ethan Couch, drove a pickup truck pickup at up to 70 mph drunk. He caused a crash that killed four pedestrians who were standing at the roadside.
In a case that has made national headlines, a judge sentenced him to 10 years' probation. The reason? He came from a rich family.
That's not a totally accurate summary but it's the way the case has played out in the media. The judge sentenced Couch after hearing a psychologist called by the defense, arguing he suffers from “affluen...
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Criminal law
Enforcement of Pot DUIs Remains Hazy for Police Departments
Marijuana is now legal in some U.S. states but the issue of enforcing pot-DUI cases is proving a legal minefield.
Recently the Wall Street Journal reported on how lawmakers are “struggling to create rules” for how to identify drivers who are under the influence of pot.
It seems identifying pot impairment is not as easy or straightforward as testing for alcohol. “There is no broad agreement over what blood level of THC – marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient – impairs driving,” stated the Wall St...
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The Tide Turns for Juveniles being Treated as Adults by Courts
Veritas Legal Media - 757-582-1836 - veritaslegalmedia@hotmail.com
A bill recently introduced into the North Carolina General Assembly has reopened questions about what age a teenage offender should be treated as an adult in the criminal justice system. It's a issue that's occupying legal minds not just in North Carolina but across the nation.
North Carolina has been tough on this issue in the past. The state law that treats 16-year-olds as adults is one of the most uncompromising in the nat...
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Identity Theft – a Threat Close to Home
In this article in the Daily Press in 2008, I explored the growing problem of identity theft.
David Macaulay, The Daily Press, June 29, 2008
HAMPTON — The fast-growing crime of identity theft conjures up notions of shadowy strangers diving into dumpsters to find personal information.
But for many victims, the threat is closer to home.
It often involves family members, friends, colleagues and partners, according to police.
Hampton police arrested 35-year-old Gladys Arrizza this month and c...
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