North Carolina

Army soldier Bowe Bergdahl, rescued by US through Gitmo prisoner swap, is charged with desertion

Captured by the Taliban in 2009 after disappearing from his post in Afghanistan, an American soldier was then rescued last year in a controversial prisoner exchange. Now he has been charged with desertion by the U.S. Army. Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was a private first class when he disappeared, also…

Mar 25, 2015 3:30 PM CDT

Five-partner health-care group exits Nelson Mulllins to open new office in Raleigh for Chicago firm

A five-partner group of health care practitioners headed by Barry Alexander has exited Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough for Polsinelli. Three, including Alexander, will open a new office for Polsinelli in Raleigh, North Carolina. The other two will work out of Atlanta for Polsinelli, which has nearly 750 attorneys in…

Mar 20, 2015 4:10 PM CDT

Troutman Sanders adds 4 more K&L Gates lawyers to growing Charlotte office

A four-lawyer team led by two partners has exited K&L Gates for the growing Charlotte, North Carolina, office of Troutman Sanders. Established last May with a five-partner team of corporate and real estate lawyers from K&L Gates, the 19-attorney office is now welcoming a corporate team led by Chad Warpula…

Mar 4, 2015 4:20 PM CST

Ex-CIA director Petraeus reaches plea deal in claimed classified docs leak to mistress

A retired four-star general, known both for his wartime leadership in Iraq and Afghanistan and stepping down as CIA director after an affair came to light, has taken a plea deal in a case over classified documents he allegedly provided to his lover. David Petraeus has ended a “spectacular fall”…

Mar 3, 2015 11:25 AM CST

Suit by former UNC athletes claims substandard classes amounted to breach of contract

A would-be class action lawsuit against the University of North Carolina and the NCAA claims the school failed to provide “legitimate educational instruction” to athletes. The Hausfeld law firm filed the suit in North Carolina state court Thursday, report the Washington Post, USA Today, the New York Times and the…

Jan 23, 2015 7:05 AM CST

Appeals court OKs dropped cigarette-butt evidence in slaying at lawyer’s home

A cigarette butt dropped in a parking lot by a suspect in a slaying at a North Carolina lawyer’s home was properly used as evidence even though police had no warrant, a state appeals court has ruled. Lawyers for Jason K. Williford had argued that DNA found on the cigarette…

Jan 6, 2015 1:00 PM CST

New Year’s Eve possum drop will go on without the marsupial; PETA says animal has no right to work

A live possum will be absent from the annual New Year’s Eve possum drop in Brasstown, North Carolina, this year following a three-year legal battle with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Festival organizer Clay Logan told the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) and the Raleigh News & Observer…

Dec 31, 2014 6:15 AM CST

Judge unseals cellphone surveillance orders; deputy DA has ‘fervent hope’ convictions will stand

A judge in Charlotte, North Carolina, has unsealed 529 orders involving cellphone surveillance requests that were so secret the DA’s office didn’t see the records. Senior Resident Judge Richard Boner unsealed the surveillance orders last week at the request of the Charlotte Observer and its news partner, WBTV, the Charlotte…

Nov 24, 2014 11:30 AM CST

Alibi clears man arrested in courthouse shooting; two others arrested

Updated: Police say a Wal-Mart alibi has cleared a man originally identified as the gunman in a courthouse shooting in Nashville, North Carolina, on Tuesday that wounded two men. Police released Ontarius Lewis III, 23, of Rocky Mount, after questioning and no longer consider him a suspect, report the Associated…

Oct 30, 2014 11:10 AM CDT

Ex-con is arrested in North Carolina courthouse shooting; his cousin says cops got the wrong guy

Updated: A suspected gunman in a North Carolina courthouse shooting on Tuesday was arrested and later cleared, while the hunt for a suspected accomplice continues. Two men were injured in the shooting at the Nash County courthouse in Nashville, North Carolina, and were reported in serious but stable condition on…

Oct 29, 2014 7:44 AM CDT

Man who died after driving flaming truck into law firm had dated one of its clients

A Virginia man who died last Friday after lighting his pickup on fire and driving it into a North Carolina law firm had dated one of its clients. The driver, Alan Boyd Lanier, 56, of Amelia Court House, Virginia, near Richmond, was unemployed and depressed before the incident, his brother,…

Oct 24, 2014 7:15 AM CDT

Man dies after lighting truck on fire and driving it into law firm

Updated: A man died last Friday evening after lighting his pickup truck on fire and driving it into the offices of a law firm in Moyock, North Carolina. The truck crashed into the Twiford Law Firm, report News Channel 3, the Outer Banks Voice, the Virginian-Pilot and Wavy.com. The driver…

Oct 20, 2014 8:11 AM CDT

Court announces total photo ban after earlier rule is flouted by multiple media outlets

Five months ago, after a violation of the rule banning photography in hallways and other public areas of the Mecklenburg County Courthouse, the North Carolina court’s senior resident judge met with Charlotte media representatives. Superior Court Judge Richard Boner reiterated the blanket ban, which has applied for over 20 years,…

Oct 15, 2014 5:20 PM CDT

Supreme Court reinstates another election law challenged for impact on black voters

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed provisions of a North Carolina election law to take effect that had been stayed by a federal appeals court because of the potential impact on voting opportunities for African Americans. As a result of the Supreme Court’s action, North Carolina will ban same-day…

Oct 9, 2014 7:20 AM CDT

Apparent wrong-number texts, phone messages from Wal-Mart spark man’s confession to long-ago slaying

By his own confession, Matthew Gibson had gotten away with killing an Arizona woman 17 years ago. But then the North Carolina resident began receiving texts and phone messages from Wal-Mart saying that a prescription was ready for a woman he didn’t know. His conclusion: Someone had figured out that…

Sep 23, 2014 5:30 PM CDT