Recent Posts in Criminal Defense Category
Posted on Apr 9, 2012 By James Snell
If you have been arrested or cited for SPMJ in South Carolina this abbreviation stands for Simple Possession of Marijuana. This is a criminal charge whether or not you were arrested and taken to jail, ...
Continue reading "South Carolina's SPMJ Charge" »
Posted on Apr 3, 2012 By James Snell
Local media is now reporting 225 students have been arrested at this year's Carolina Cup. Many others were also arrested for offenses such as: Underage Possession of Alcohol Driving Under the ...
Continue reading "Arrested at the Carolina Cup?" »
Posted on Mar 22, 2012 By James Snell
Often times the first indication that you are under investigation by the police is receiving a call from an investigator or detective. When this call comes in you have to quickly decide how you will ...
Continue reading "Should you call the police back?" »
Posted on Oct 8, 2011 By James Snell
I often encounter clients in our initial conferences who are upset with the police investigation that lead to their arrest. One common complaint is that the police either did not question them or ...
Continue reading "Do you have a right to give a statement to the police?" »
Posted on Oct 1, 2011 By James Snell
The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act is a law that provides for the release of government records and access to government meetings to the general public. Public officials, to include any ...
Continue reading "Criminal Violations of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act" »
Posted on Sep 18, 2011 By James Snell
A plea bargain is an agreement between the government and the defendant concerning the terms and conditions of a guilty plea. When a defendant accepts a plea bargain they are giving up their right to ...
Continue reading "What is a plea bargain?" »
Posted on Aug 1, 2011 By James Snell
In South Carolina there is a criminal statute making it unlawful to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Boating under the influenced, or BUI, is becoming more and more ...
Continue reading "How to challenge a South Carolina BUI charge." »
Posted on Jul 25, 2011 By James Snell
If you have a loved one charged with a serious offense in South Carolina the Bond Court may set an unreasonably high bond. In Bond Court the judge typically only has a few minutes per case and will ...
Continue reading "Reducing Bond in South Carolina" »
Posted on Jul 9, 2011 By James Snell
Imagine a trip to your local grocery store that starts like any other, except this time it goes horribly wrong and you end up wrongfully arrested for shoplifting. On an accident you forget that there ...
Continue reading "Store Security Misconduct can Lead to Being Wrongfully Arrested for Shoplifting" »
Posted on Jul 3, 2011 By James Snell
The Fourth of July holiday weekend is one time of year that you can be guaranteed that South Carolina law enforcement will be out in full force. Arrests for a variety of offense will be routine - ...
Continue reading "Expect Extra Police Action this 4th of July Weekend" »
Posted on Apr 22, 2011 By James Snell
On April 11, 2011, the South Carolina Supreme Court published an opinion in State v. Bostick . The appeal involved whether or not the State had presented sufficient evidence to survive the defendant's ...
Continue reading "State Supreme Court Opinion on Directed Verdict Standards" »
Posted on Feb 13, 2011 By James Snell
The criminal penalty for murder in South Carolina ranges from a minimum of thirty years up through the death penalty. The difference between a murder that only carries the potential for prison time ...
Continue reading "What makes a murder carry the death panalty?" »
Posted on Feb 12, 2011 By James Snell
If you fail to appear for your Court date a bench warrant may be issued for your arrest. A bench warrant is a type of Court order commanding law enforcement to track you down, arrest you and put you ...
Continue reading "Resolving a South Carolina Bench Warrant" »
Posted on Feb 9, 2011 By James Snell
Yesterday I posted an article on my CDV Defense Blog concerning what would happen if an alleged victim to a domestic assault contacted the police or Court and said that they were changing their story. ...
Continue reading "CDV Witnesses Changing Their Stories" »
Posted on Feb 6, 2011 By James Snell
Many people don't realize that they have a right to appeal a conviction from a Magistrate or Municipal Court. Many offenses tried in what is called "Summary Court" create a potential lifelong criminal ...
Continue reading "Right to Appeal Magistrate Court Conviction" »
Posted on Jan 20, 2011 By Criminal Defense Attorney
We are pleased to announce the launch of our new South Carolina criminal defense blog. We have an RSS feed available for you here .
Continue reading "Welcome to our South Carolina Criminal Defense Blog." »