Americans were not discouraged by high gas prices, which at $3.77 a gallon was one dollar a gallon higher compared to last year, and took to the road this past weekend in enormous numbers to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend.  According to a  AAA report 34.9 million travelers journeyed at least 50 miles from home, which was an increase of 100,000 travelers compared to the same weekend last year.  The report declared that 41 percent of the people traveling in the South Atlantic region went to a beach.

In North Carolina that meant that people came to our beautiful beaches up and down the coast.  North Carolinians spent the holiday weekend at the beaches in Pender County, New Hanover County, and Brunswick County.  The beaches in our area that saw a dramatic rise in population this past weekend was Surf City, Topsail Beach, Wrightsville Beach, Kure Beach, Carolina Beach, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, and Sunset Beach.

The increase in driving led to more dangerous conditions on the roads.  The roadways going to and from the beaches had many traffic jams because so many people descended on the beaches in our part of the state.  In addition to more cars clogging the roads, people were more likely to be drinking and driving.  The North Carolina Highway Patrol announced that at least nine motorists died during the Memorial Day Weekend.  Last year, eleven motorists died and 358 people were injured in car accidents.

The Star News (Major newspaper in Wilmington, NC) published before the holiday weekend that the Wilmington Police Department would host a multi-agency traffic checking station on Sunday afternoon and evenings.  Officers involved in the operation will target impaired driving as well as underage possession of alcohol, open containers of alcohol, or failure to use seatbelts.  It is highly recommended to find experienced attorneys or lawyers to help you if you were caught in one of these checkpoints.

If you were hurt in a car accident, or you were charged with any crime or issued a traffic citation during the Memorial Day Weekend in or around Wilmington, NC scheduled for court in New Hanover County, Brunswick County (Bolivia, NC), or Pender County (Burgaw, NC), you should contact a lawyer or attorney at Collins Law Firm at 910-793-9000 for a consultation.

The elections are over and we are very excited that all of our friends whom we supported in their races in the Southeastern North Carolina counties surrounding Wilmington NC (Brunswick County and New Hanover County) won their elections! This was an historic election, and for the first time since 1898, the Republicans hold the majority of both houses of the North Carolina legislature.

Jon David will be the new District Attorney in North Carolina’s 13th prosecutorial district, which includes Brunswick County, Columbus County, and Bladen County. Mr. David’s office will prosecute all state crimes including infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies. Jon David has over ten years experience as a prosecutor, and has been prosecuting cases for years with his brother, Ben David, who is the District Attorney in the Fifth Prosecutorial District (which includes New Hanover County and Pender County). We know Mr. David will make an outstanding District Attorney and will work hard to seek justice in all the cases his office will handle.

Thom Goolsby will be New Hanover County’s new State Senator. Mr. Goolsby is a Wilmington, NC lawyer who practices personal injury and criminal defense in Wilmington, North Carolina. He is a conservative and will focus on creating jobs by limiting government in Raleigh. He holds both a Juris Doctor, and Master of Business Administration, and has been managing his law firm for years, so he understands business, and will make an excellent law maker.

Jay Hockenbury will continue one of our Superior Court Judges in New Hanover County and Pender County. Judge Hockenbury was challenged in this election, and soundly defeated his opponent. He also is a Republican, and he is a fair and impartial judge. He hears civil cases as well as all types of criminal cases in including misdemeanors and felonies. We are glad Judge Hockenbury will continue to be one of our excellent Superior Court Judges.

Chad Hogston, also a Wilmington attorney, will be our newest District Court Judge. Mr. Hogston has been practicing law in Wilmington for almost a decade and a half. He has experience in both civil and criminal cases, and we are sure he will be an outstanding fair and impartial District Court Judge.

Jan Kennedy will be our new Clerk of Court in New Hanover County. She has almost two decades experience in the clerk’s office, and we are confident she will make an excellent Clerk of Court, and she will make sure that the courts continue to run smoothly and efficiently. The clerk’s office manages all the files in State court including civil matters as well as all criminal matters – including all infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies.

A newly elected District Attorney will soon be sworn in the 13th prosecutorial district of NC.

The 13th prosecutorial district of North Carolina is comprised of Brunswick County, Columbus County, and Bladen County located in Southeastern NC. The district attorney’s office in Brunswick County is located in Bolivia, NC and is the largest office of the three counties.

The district attorney’s office prosecutes crimes committed within their district including felonies and misdemeanors. Most of the prosecutions in the courtroom are conducted by assistant district attorneys – all of which are lawyers licensed in the State of NC.

Rex Gore, who is the current elected district attorney, was defeated in the democratic primary by Butch Pope out of Whiteville, NC. He is challenged by Jon David, who is currently an assistant district attorney in New Hanover County and has his office located in Wilmington, NC. The result of the upcoming election will decide who will be the new District Attorney, and what, if any, changes will be made with the district attorney’s office in the 13th district.

A possible disposition for a criminal or traffic charge (either an infraction, misdemeanor, or a felony) unique to North Carolina state courts, is a Prayer for Judgment Continued, or PJC.  When requesting a court to grant a request for a PJC, the proper way attorneys ask is to request that the “judgment be continued,” or to request that the court “continue judgment.”  While a PJC is an excellent result in many cases, it may not be the best result for all criminal or traffic cases.

Our experience has been that the effect of a PJC is highly misunderstood by most people, including lawyers or other legal professionals not experienced in traffic or criminal law.

The effect of a PJC for traffic violations is controlled by statutes and varies with the context in which it is considered.  A PJC may or may not avoid points, and the rules are different with respect to driver’s license points (or DMV points) or insurance points.   We have posted an article explaining more details about what a PJC is and how it may affect one’s record on our site, and a brief summary of how a PJC may affect insurance and DMV points for traffic violations.

Any time you are considering requesting a PJC, you should always consult with an experienced criminal or traffic lawyer.  If you have a pending court date for a criminal matter or traffic violation, call Attorney David Collins at Collins Law Firm for a consultation at 910-793-9000.

At Collins Law Firm, we have been practicing criminal and traffic law in Southeastern North Carolina for over a decade and David Collins has been licensed to practice law in both North Carolina and South Carolina since 1993.  The counties we cover for criminal and traffic matters include (County/Seat of Court): Brunswick County/Bolivia, NC; New Hanover County/Wilmington, NC; Pender County/Burgaw, NC; Columbus County/Whiteville, NC; Bladen County/Elizabethtown, NC; Sampson County/Clinton, NC; Duplin County/Kenansville, NC; and Onslow County/Jacksonville, NC.