We are seeing more and more colleges and universities looking into college student conduct violations, including other more serious violations such as sexual assault and assault and battery. Each college or university has its own code of student conduct which students are expected to adhere to. The code of conduct, in most colleges and universities, is extremely long and can become complex when it comes to navigating school hearings.
What Does Plea Bargaining Mean In South Carolina?
When facing criminal charges in South Carolina, you may or may not be familiar with the term "plea bargaining". A plea bargain or plea deal can be defined as an agreement between a defense attorney and prosecutor which allows the defendant to plead guilty to a lesser charge in exchange for dropping other charges or a more lenient sentence. For example, you could be charged with a felony and receive an offer to plead to a misdemeanor.
Will I Get A DUI Conviction If I Fail My Breathalyzer Test?
Not necessarily. During a traffic stop for DUI, while it may seem inevitable that a guilty conviction will occur if you fail a breathalyzer test, that is simply not true. Every person charged with a criminal offense is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Preventing Personal Injuries On The Roadways This Holiday Season
The Holidays are such a wonderful time of year for spending time with close friends and family. However, it can also be a particularly stressful time of year to travel on the roads. Here are a few safety tips to minimize the risk of personal injuries if you are out on the roads this Holiday season:
DUI Roadblocks & Checkpoints In South Carolina
The month of December is oftentimes filled with Holiday parties. As most people are aware of, police presence in South Carolina on roadways and DUI checkpoints usually go hand-in-hand with the increased frequency of Holiday parties. What some people may not know, however, is that police must follow certain parameters when operating a check point. Federal law, for example, requires police to publicize the date and locations of DUI checkpoints in advance. If police fail to follow the required procedures and guidelines, then your DUI case may be eligible to be dismissed.
Suffered Injuries From A Truck Accident: What Next?
Being in an 18-wheeler truck accident in South Carolina can be absolutely devastating. You or your loved one could be left handling life-shattering injuries as well property damages. With insurance companies, doctor visits and medical bills, it can be overwhelming. Here are a few tips to help you navigate through the difficult process:
What Amounts To Assault & Battery During A Bar Fight?
Bar Fights In South Carolina
Under South Carolina's assault & battery laws, you could easily be arrested if you are involved in an argument at a bar that escalates to a physical confrontation, however small that confrontation may be. To provide an example, unless you have missed the news in the past week or two, it is quite hard to avoid the Confirmation Hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh. According to the New York Times & Washington Post, the most recent FBI Investigation this week has led them to investigating a police report from 1985 where Kavanaugh was alleged to have thrown some ice on a patron during a bar fight. Another acquaintance struck the patron with a glass cup, which cut the patron in the head.
During Traffic Stops, Can Police Search My Car Without A Warrant?
During traffic stops, the general rule is that police need a warrant to search your property and you have a right to tell them no if they ask to search your vehicle. In other words, if an officer asks you "Do you mind if I search your vehicle?", you can clearly let the officer know that you are not consenting to a search of your vehicle.
PERSONAL INJURIES FROM TEXTING WHILE DRIVING
With the ever-increasing use of technology in our society, it is sadly not surprising that texting and driving is nationwide issue when it comes personal injury car accidents. According to the South Carolina Department of Insurance, the average time your eyes are off the road while texting is five seconds. While that might not seem like a long time, the data goes on to explain that if you are traveling 55 mph, then five seconds would be enough time to cover the length of an entire football field while blindfolded. Oftentimes, as a result of this distracted driving, more people are getting into personal injury car accidents in South Carolina. The data shows that 64% of all car accidents in the United States involved cell phone usage last year.
SOUTH CAROLINA YOUTHFUL OFFENDER ACT
If we all took some time to reflect on our lives between the age of seventeen and twenty-five years old, I think most of us would say we were less than perfect and may have made a mistake or two along the way. Perhaps you or a loved one is in that stage in their life right now and has made one bad decision that resulted in being charged with a crime. When we are young we may make a poor judgement call and, thankfully, the South Carolina legislature recognized that those mistakes should not necessarily define the rest of our lives. Hence, the Youthful Offender Act, or "YOA" in South Carolina.
