Posts tagged "legislation"

Imagine yourself as a 16- or 17-year-old student. At this age, many people are testing boundaries and participating in acts of rebellion. It is the age at which many teens make mistakes and get in trouble. Now, imagine being this age and getting sentenced as an adult for something as minor as shoplifting a bag of chips. This perceived heavy-handed punishment is at the center of a motion presented to members of the General Assembly in North Carolina.

The measure is called Raise the Age and was proposed by a group of legislators named Action for Children North Carolina. They have seen a serious problem with many young people facing misdemeanor charges. In a shockingly high amount of cases, these teens are being sentenced as adults for petty crimes. North Carolina is one of only two states in the entire country that prosecutes 16- and 17-year-olds as adults for misdemeanors.

The importance of police procedure during a drug arrest is not to be overlooked. Just because a person is suspected of drug possession or drug trafficking does not mean he or she is does not have any rights anymore. In the process of pursuing drug charges in North Carolina, ensuring that a person's rights are not violated is very important.

Recently, police discovered over 150 pounds of marijuana in a man's car. They pulled him over and received consent from the driver to search his car. A drug-sniffing dog located the drugs and the man was arrested. However, a judge just ruled that the 150-pound stash could not be used against the man in court. How was this possible?

Across the country, states are debating the issue of whether or not there is a safe amount of marijuana-related impairment for drivers and whether it should be regulated. On one hand, setting a limit similar to blood-alcohol levels may make sense to some people. On the other hand, setting a limit may have no effect on the behavior since most drivers who are suspected of drugged driving will face criminal charges, such as drug possession, anyway.

In North Carolina, driving while impaired is illegal. There is the argument, however, that marijuana takes significantly longer to leave the body's system when compared to alcohol. This means that just because it is present in the body does not mean a driver is still impaired. Other states are addressing this very issue and trying to determine how to fairly judge whether or not a person is too drugged to drive.

Getting pulled over by a police officer can be pretty unfortunate. No one wants to get a ticket for speeding, texting while driving, rolling through a stop sign or other traffic violations. Besides the fines, multiple traffic tickets may affect a person's insurance rates and driving record. Some drivers in North Carolina want to escape these - and worse - penalties so badly that they decide not to pull over when an officer tells them to.

Running from the cops may not only be dangerous, but it can also be quite inconvenient and costly. A law passed in the state in December gives police officers the authority to confiscate a car if the driver flees an officer to avoid arrest. Since the law took effect, New Hanover County has reportedly seized 10 cars from drivers who tried to get away.

Being a teenager typically means making mistakes. Teens are testing boundaries and figuring themselves out. Between the ages of 16 and 18 are a very impressionable time in a person's life and likely a time when he or she makes a mistake or two. Sadly, many young people who may have committed student criminal charges are being charged as an adult. Should these mistakes define the rest of a person's life?

One North Carolina legislator says that they should not. In fact, she has reintroduced a bill that would increase the age defining an adult offender from 16 years old to 18 years old. Ever since the year 1919, North Carolina has been particularly strict with dealing with juveniles. It is argued that North Carolina is tougher on these offenders than any other state.

A person who has been caught with drugs and charged with drug possession faces a number of serious consequences. From fines to jail sentences, penalties for drug offenses vary widely and depend on many factors. Before a person can be convicted, though, it must be determined that the search that uncovered the drugs was executed properly.

The North Carolina Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case in which a 15-year-old girl was made to pull her bra away from her body in a search at her school. The question they must answer is if the search of the minor girl violated her right to protection against unreasonable searches.

According to the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), an organization that seeks to remove criminal penalties for marijuana possession, the North Carolina legislature had a couple of bills on its plate in 2011: HB 577 and HB 324, both of which sought to change state marijuana law.

Simple drug possession of marijuana in North Carolina, regardless of what purposes the drug is being put to use, is still a crime punishable by fines and possible jail time. And the consequences of marijuana possession will increase in severity with each subsequent arrest and conviction.

The North Carolina legislature has voted on additional penalties for driving with driver's license revoked, including minimum fines and vehicle forfeiture. For an offense that is classified as a criminal misdemeanor charge, rather than a simple traffic violation, this recent legislation heightens the consequences of an offense that is already pretty severe in its penalties.