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Raleigh Family Law Attorney Raises Concerns Over New Tax Bill’s Effects on Alimony Settlements

Congress passed a $1.5 trillion tax bill on December 19, 2017, cementing what is considered “the most sweeping rewrite of the tax code” in recent history. The bill impacts the most contentious points of taxation, such as greater tax cuts for corporations and business owners. It also significantly affects individual taxpayers who now face the loss or limitation of several tax breaks.

Under the bill, for example, taxpayers can:

● only claim lower deductions on mortgage interest ● only claim casualty losses if these are incurred in a disaster declared by the president ● no longer deduct the interest on home equity loans ● no longer deduct alimony payments, if they are paying them ● no longer list alimony as income, if they are receiving it

The last two should raise red flags for any family law attorney and their clients. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2EpKIx5

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Raleigh DWI Attorney Questions New Utah Law that Sets State BAC Limit to Only .05%

Utah is not backing down from a tougher stance on drunk-driving, standing by a law it passed earlier in 2017 that brought the state’s maximum blood alcohol content (BAC) limit to 0.05%. The law, scheduled to take effect in 2018, will fine offenders over $1,300 and confiscate their licenses for at least 90 days.

The law has elicited polarizing reactions both in and out of the state. Advocates of road safety, like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), supported the measure, and still hope for further deterrents against impaired driving. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2EqyuEu

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Raleigh Drug Lawyers Further Examine Dangers of Carfentanil as Opioid Deaths Explode

North Carolina already suffers from one of the worst opioid epidemics in the United States. Now, a deadly new mix of drugs is making a lethal substance even more dangerous.

Carfentanil – a type of fentanyl used to tranquilize large animals – has been identified as a key ingredient in drug mixes that contain heroin or other opioids. Ten thousand times more powerful than morphine, and a hundred times more potent than deadly fentanyl, carfentanil is only legal for veterinary use. Its nickname – “the elephant tranquilizer” – suggests how unfit it is for human consumption.

This substance has been linked to at least 33 drug-related deaths around the state this past year.

Grim statistics

If it runs rampant, carfentanil might aggravate already grim projections about the opioid crisis in North Carolina. Heroin, fentanyl, and their related analogs caused more than half of local opioid deaths in 2016 (58.4%). This number is expected to shoot to 90% by 2021 if the epidemic is not properly addressed. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2FiV1El

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Raleigh Criminal Defense Attorney Examines Study on the Use of Police Body Cameras

A study led by Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department shows that body cameras on police officers have not had “any statistically significant effect” on law enforcement officials use of force or citizen complaints.

The results are bound to reopen debates about the policy, which was believed could help improve police procedures around the country and possibly curb abuse. Calling for further research, some parties have said that the D.C. police force is among the best-trained in the nation – and could have been simply doing the right things all along.

Points of contention

The use of police body cameras has always come with questions. When cities nationwide began deploying them as the problem of police brutality exploded in 2015, many were quick to point out concerns like costs, rules on who will wear them and when, as well as who will have access to the videos. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2Ennjwn

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Raleigh Family Attorney Shares More Insights on Explaining Divorce to Kids

As a caring family lawyer, I can help see you through divorce and many of the aspects of this difficult process.

In this article, I’ll share more tips on how you can talk to your kids about divorce. Knowing how to explain it to children, and answer their questions, can help you hold your family together even in the face of separation.

Don’t underestimate your children

Divorce is one of those “adult” things that you might think are completely incomprehensible to children. But the truth is, nowadays, kids tend to be rather familiar with the concept.

On a very basic level, children who have been going to school – and encountered classmates whose parents are divorced – may already know that “divorce” means one’s mommy and daddy will no longer be living together. They might be not as interested in what “divorce” means regarding separation of assets, but what it really means for them. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2B4Q7fD

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Raleigh DWI Attorney Discusses the Charge of “Driving After Consuming”

You’ve heard of driving under the influence and driving while impaired – but if you're under the age of 21 you may find yourself in need of a DWI attorney to handle DACs?

Driving After Consuming (DAC) is a serious offense in North Carolina, separate from Driving While Impaired (DWI). It made the headlines recently when an 18-year-old boy crashed his vehicle into a power pole in east Charlotte, taking down traffic lights and shutting down the road. The teenager, whose injuries were not life-threatening, was charged with DAC, a misdemeanor applying to persons younger than 21. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2B6qE5s

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Drug Attorney Discusses Recent Arrests on Interstate 40 for Trafficking 130 Lbs. of Marijuana

What can happen at a routine traffic stop?

For two women driving through Orange County, North Carolina last month, it turned out pulling over didn’t lead to just a simple traffic ticket – but rather arrests for trafficking 130 lbs. of marijuana.

Recently, deputies stopped two women driving a Toyota Camry on Interstate 40 for a rather routine traffic violation. When they brought out a K-9 officer, the drug-sniffing dog detected the odor of cannabis from the vehicle. It promptly discovered bags upon bags of marijuana in the trunk, worth an estimated $500,000.

The women – both from the San Francisco Bay Area – were held at the Orange County Sherriff’s Office under a $100,000 secured bond. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2AfnPyY

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Raleigh Criminal Attorneys Say Organized Shoplifting Rings Are Going Mainstream

Shoplifting has plagued retail businesses for decades, but this year, it has loomed larger than ever. Authorities say shoplifters have increasingly become the engines of organized theft rings, which systematically ferry stolen goods from thieves to the “fencers” who knowingly resell them. Organized theft has also found a new niche in profiting off gift cards obtained for “returning” stolen goods.

The problem has sent Raleigh criminal attorneys, law enforcers, and storeowners looking to a new Organized Retail Theft Act. This law should make it easier to prosecute suspected ring members and deal harsher penalties on those convicted. But solving the problem might not be as easy as it appears.

The online black market

Gone are the days when shoplifters or fencers resell items on the shadier corners of town. Nowadays, seemingly legitimate vendors on Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace could be trading stolen goods to unlimited audiences. The ubiquity, and relative anonymity, of online platforms make them harder to catch, though federal officials have made a number of key arrests in recent years. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2Adrhdg

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Raleigh Family Lawyer: The Questions You Should Ask Before Filing for Divorce

Are disagreements and differences weighing down your marriage? Whatever you may be going through, you should understand that divorce is a life-changing step, and, like marriage, should not be taken without preparation. Oftentimes marital disputes can be addressed through counseling or a brief separation period to give yourself time to heal or to reflect on your life. The Daily Times and The New York Times have recently posted articles that ask the questions you should consider before calling a Raleigh family lawyer and pursuing a divorce. Here are several of the questions that can assist you in deciding if a divorce or a separation is the right step for you at this time. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2hM7qXm

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Raleigh DWI Lawyer Skeptical About Credibility of Drug Recognition Experts (DRE)

Over the years, law enforcement officials have intensified efforts to crack down on individuals driving while impaired (DWI) by relying on Drug Recognition Experts (DRE). Police officers who become certified DREs evaluate drivers suspected of being impaired by drugs by applying a 12-step process; aside from impairment, their skillset supposedly lets them identify the type of drug as well. The DRE program means well and counties across North Carolina welcome these trained officers to boost road safety. However, recent incidents have called its credibility into question. DRE Can Sometimes Stand for Drug Recognition Errors A few prominent cases that shed doubt on DREs occurred in Georgia, where investigative journalists revealed that a DRE from Cobb County, police officer T.T. Carroll, had arrested at least three drivers while they were sober. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2Af94Yy

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A Reminder from Drug Lawyers: Raleigh Police Can’t Detain You to Wait for a Drug-Sniffing Dog

Imagine this scenario: while driving around Raleigh, a police officer pulls you over and asks for your license. He questions you and perhaps issues a traffic ticket – and then makes you wait forever while he calls for a drug-sniffing dog to arrive and inspect your car. What should you do in such a situation? Should such a thing even happen? Unreasonable seizures and reasonable suspicion According to a 2015 Supreme Court ruling, this scenario amounts to a violation of the Constitution’s shield against unreasonable seizures. An officer “may conduct certain unrelated checks during an otherwise lawful traffic stop,” wrote Justice Ruth Ginsberg in the 6-3 decision, but “may not do so in a way that prolongs the stop, absent the reasonable suspicion ordinarily demanded to justify detaining an individual.”  Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2Af8TfQ

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Raleigh Criminal Attorneys Speak on DA’s Decision Not to Press Charges Against NCSU Football Players

Five football players from North Carolina State University (NCSU) will not be charged with sexual assault, following an investigation into allegations raised against them earlier this year. “Our office has undertaken a detailed review of the information provided from the investigation by North Carolina State University police,” said Wake County District Attorney (DA) Lorrin Freeman. “The evidence does not support moving forward with a criminal prosecution.” Three female students had said five young male athletes assaulted them during a party at a campus apartment in July. NCSU Police Chief Jack Moorman then called the case “unusual”, since the assaults reportedly happened separately – while in the same location – in a span of 90 minutes. Read more from this article: http://bit.ly/2hMcieW

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Raleigh Criminal Lawyer Wonders Why are Mistakes Made By Police, Courts and Prosecutors Remain Secret to the Public

As an experienced criminal defense attorney, I know that the justice system is not flawless. Actually far from it.

Police can (and often do) make serious mistakes during an investigation. Analysts and clerks may accidentally mishandle (or completely lose) valuable evidence. In addition, prosecuting attorneys and judges might unintentionally overlook important details during a trial. While their missteps can be understood as human error, they can come at great human cost – like wrongful convictions.

Take the case of Joseph Sledge, an innocent man convicted of double murder in 1978. He was exonerated in 2015 partly because evidence that would have cleared his name was rediscovered. A county clerk recently found it misplaced on the top shelf in an evidence room; it had been deemed missing for over 30 years. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2yq4E3D

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Can You be Charged with Murder for Selling an Illegal Substance? Raleigh Drug Defense Lawyer Weighs in

In July 2017, Amanda Katherine McLeod was indicted in Raleigh on a charge of second-degree murder. Three months earlier, she had sold the powerful and deadly drug, fentanyl, to a woman named Emily Renzo. On the same day, Renzo was found dead due to an overdose of fentanyl mixed with heroin.

McLeod was placed in police custody in May, when officials arrested her on grounds she had been maintaining a dwelling to keep or sell drugs. It wasn't her first brush with the law – she had been previously convicted in 2013 for drug-related charges but was granted probation.

While she was a convicted felon, did she really deserve to be charged with Renzo's murder? Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2w4jI2r

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Raleigh DWI Attorney Considers New Laws to Curb Use of Cell Phones While Driving

It seems that the use of your cell phone while driving may become the next big thing that you'll need a DWI attorney to defend you in court.

That, at least, is the scenario you would face in Washington state, where a new "E-DUI" law was recently passed. It prohibits the use of any electronic device while driving, even while a driver has stopped in traffic or at a traffic light. The first citation would come with a $136 fine, and a second citation within five years would cost $236.

Washington was the 14th state to mandate drivers to put down their phones, and it seems they might not be the last. A law on "driving under the influence of electronics" is under consideration in Massachusetts, and in Idaho there is support for legislation similar to Washington's. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2f6IRCJ

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Family Law Attorney Shares Six Tips on Talking to Children About Divorce

As an experienced family law attorney, I know how to handle a divorce and all the sensitive negotiations that come with it. But over years of experience, I've come to understand something more important: how difficult it can all be on a client’s children.

The family law attorneys at Kurtz & Blum care about the welfare of your children as much as the outcome of battles on child custody and support. This is why we are sharing six tips on how parents can talk to children about divorce. Such advice may help nurture a parent's relationship with their children – even when a marriage is truly over. Read more from this blog: http://bit.ly/2w4lD7a

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Raleigh Sex Offense Attorney Shares Concerns Over New Law that Could Convict Teens for Sexting

Sexting, or sending sexually-explicit text messages, may seem exciting for many teenagers even though most are unaware of the potential consequences.

Recently, the House of Representatives passed a new bill that adds major new stipulations to the current law on sex-related crimes. As far as the laws on child pornography are concerned, sending, trading and now even requesting images of underage teens is considered a serious crime.

According to the bill, the main purpose is to crack down on the distribution of child pornography. Questions on the merit of the bill, however, arise from the fact that most people who do engage in this practice are not your typical child pornography enthusiasts. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2wkQE7f