The Chetson Firm represents clients in both state and federal courts, on serious felonies, misdemeanors and DWI (traffic) offenses.
The Chetson Firm has experience representing clients in serious drug cases, violent felonies, larceny, sex offenses, misdemeanor DWI cases, larcenies, rapes, and non-serious assaults and drug offenses.
The Chetson Firm serves people throughout Wake County and the Research [...]
Tag Archive: criminal defense attorney raleigh
Criminal Lawyer Raleigh Serving Raleigh and Wake County
What Happens if You Refuse a DWI Breathalyzer?
When is a refusal not a refusal? Under North Carolina’s implied consent laws, anyone driving on the roads of North Carolina “consents” to a breathalyzer or blood examine if an officer has reason to believe the person has been driving while impaired.
If someone “willfully refuses” to submit to a test, the person has [...]
NC Criminal Lawyer: Attorney-Client Confidentiality
Things you say to a non-lawyer may be used against you in a court of law. In particular, things you say to friends, to loved ones (depending on the relationship), to colleagues, to police, to investigators, to co-defendants, to conspirators, to enemies, etc. can and most probably will be used against you in [...]
Confrontation Clause and DWI Cases – Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts
For years North Carolina, like many states, permitted the State to introduce the results of a DWI defendant’s breath test. That meant that the Defendant’s attorney would have no opportunity to question the breath analyst on the stand about the procedure used, whether the breath analyst was certified at the time the test was [...]
What is Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Normally if someone is picked up for a misdemeanor drug charge, he is charged with two crimes: simple possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. The paraphernalia charge is the more serious of the two charges. Misdemeanor possession of marijuana is a class 3 misdemeanor.
Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia is a Class [...]
What is Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Normally if someone is picked up for a misdemeanor drug charge, he is charged with two crimes: simple possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. The paraphernalia charge is the more serious of the two charges. Misdemeanor possession of marijuana is a class 3 misdemeanor.
Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia is a Class [...]
Confidential Informants – A Secret and Corrupt System
NPR has an interesting report on the use and abuse of confidential informants.
Here’s an excerpt:
Loyola Law School professor Alexandra Natapoff, author of the new book Snitching, says the public has no clue about the thousands of informants now on the government payroll.
“It’s a very clandestine, secretive and unregulated arena that yet influences the outcome of [...]
What is a Motion to Compel Discovery?
What is “discovery”? Discovery is the process in either criminal or civil procedure of providing information to the other side. In criminal law, discovery is usually – although not always – provided by the State to the Defendant.
Discovery is all that information collected by the state and its agencies which the Defendant [...]
What is a Motion to Continue
A motion to continue is a request by a party – in a criminal case, either the State represented in Raleigh by the Wake County District Attorney or the defense, usually represented by a criminal defense lawyer – for a judge to set a new court date in the matter.
Usually, but not always, a motion [...]
North Carolina Criminal Lawyer: First Degree Rape
First Degree Rape is punishable as a B1 felony. In 2009, North Carolina passed a mandatory minimum of 25 years for this crime.
First Degree Rape depends on the use of force or threat of force, or on the age difference between the victim and the defendant.
Note that just because there wasn’t full [...]