Case Results in Winston-Salem and the surrounding areas
Disclaimer: The facts and circumstances of each case are different as such each case must be evaluated upon the unique circumstances and facts. The results summarized here are not necessarily representative of the results obtained in all cases.
Winston-Salem Traffic Attorney Saves Senior’s Holiday
Winston-Salem Traffic Attorney Races to Save One Senior's Holiday Season Our Traffic Attorneys always strive to provide the best defense possible for each and every one of their clients. Generally, though, they can't perform miracles. But a Holiday miracle is exactly what Winston-Salem Traffic Attorney Tyler Chriscoe managed for one Stokes County Senior. The Incident A senior citizen of Stokes County found herself with a unique problem this Holiday Season and was at a loss as to what to do. You see, back in October, she was doing her normal errands, nothing unusual, when she was cited for speeding 15mph over the limit and failing to wear a seat belt. Taking care of this type of thing was not within her knowledge base since she had not had a traffic citation in nearly 36 years. The ticket said she could pay it [...]
Mother Wins Third-Party Custody Battle in Forsyth County
Winston-Salem Family Law Team Type of Case: Third-Party Custody Case Result: Opposing party's claim for custody dismissed County: Forsyth County Our family law team recently helped a woman fight for custody of her child after being incarcerated for six years. While incarcerated, the woman's cousin attempted to take custody of her child. The cousin hadn't been in the child's life for very long. Yet, she refused to give the child back to the mother after the mother's release from prison. Our client, the mother, had worked extremely hard during and after her incarceration towards her rehabilitation. She wanted to make a better life for her and her child, and she was not about to give up that easily. So she reached out to our family law team for guidance on a third-party custody case. Third-Party Custody in NC Our team knew the mother could potentially lose her constitutionally [...]
Dismissed – DWI won for Corpus Delicti
Our founder, Clarke Dummit, won another DWI case based upon the Corpus Delicti rule. Our client got charged with DWI after the Winston-Salem police officer heard the crash and drove over to the scene of the wreck 3 minutes later. When the officer arrived our client was out of the car with the hood open looking at the damage to the grill. There was another person at the scene who could have been driving, but our client said he was driving. There was no physical evidence that our client was driving, and the only circumstantial evidence (that our client owned the car, and was at the scene) led equally to the conclusion that he was a passenger. Our client was arrested and blew a .17 at the station. What is Corpus Delicti? Mr. Dummit of Dummit Fradin made a motion to dismiss at the close of the State’s [...]
Driving is Risky Business: Go with the Flow or Impede Others?
Driving Can Be Risky Business - Do You Go With the Flow or Impede Others? This is one client's story A Typical Commute Goes Awry Driving down our normal paths every day, from work to home, from home to school, from school to work becomes customary, expected, even ordinary. We try to stay alert, we try to stay safe, but these routes become so ingrained in our daily routines that we drive them on autopilot, nearly without thought. We follow along with others on the same paths in life thinking about our jobs, our kids, or singing along to our favorite songs. We know these roads. We know their hazards and their twists and turns. These are our safe zones. For one Forsyth County woman, just going along about her daily drive, the same as she does every day, these familiar spaces [...]
Father Attains Child Support with 50/50 Custody
Winston-Salem Family Law Team Type of Case: Child Support Case Result: Father Granted Child Support with 50/50 Custody County: Forsyth County Our attorney recently represented a father in a child support case in Forsyth County. The client held 50/50 custody of his children and now needed Erica's help in getting a fair child support arrangement. Months before the two parties even separated, our client took medical leave from his job while he had shoulder surgery. The parties then separated and our client did not go back to his job after medical leave. Going back meant he'd have to work 2nd shift from 3:00 pm to 2:00 am without anyone to care for his children. So he was forced to take a different job making less money. Accurately Imputing Income for Fair Child Support Although he no longer worked there, the county was trying to impute the first, higher-paying [...]
From Crash to DWI Trial: Winning With A Tactical Cross
From A Car Crash to a DWI Trial: Winning through the Art of Tactical Cross-Examination Facing criminal charges is always stressful, but it's especially difficult when it's a Driving While Impaired (DWI) charge. The consequences can feel overwhelming: the client will have to pay court fines and legal fees, will face at least one license suspension, and probation or jail time depending on the circumstances, unless a plea bargain can be arranged. Additionally, there are potential future consequences to employment, custody battles, housing, or anything where having a criminal record might be a problem. A guilty verdict after a DWI trial can and will upend a person's entire life. Therefore, it's imperative when facing this kind of charge, that your attorney is experienced in DWI defense so they have effective strategies at every stage in the case. Recently, [...]
Clients Not Guilty for Possession of Marijuana
Our clients were cruising along when they were abruptly rear-ended. A deputy arrived on the scene and said he smelled marijuana. He ordered the two clients out of the vehicle. One client admitted that she had been smoking a hemp cigarette. Eventually, after an illegal search, the deputy found what he thought was marijuana in two places in the vehicle. As a result, the two individuals were charged with Possession of Marijuana in Forsyth County. Our client owns several hemp shops and maintains an ABC permit. A conviction for Possession of Marijuana meant they’d likely lose their ABC permit and face huge financial losses. So, they turned to criminal defense attorney Clarke Dummit for help. You Can’t Tell by the Smell At trial, the deputy was testifying about his training and experience in smelling and identifying marijuana based upon the smell and appearance. During a [...]
Third-Party Granted Emergency Custody in Forsyth County
Type of Case: Emergency Custody Granted to Third-Party Case Result: The client was given exclusive legal and physical custody of both children. The opposing party was not given any visitation at this time. County: Forsyth County A client rushed to retain our firm for help getting two children back in her custody immediately. Our family law team, which handles emergency custody cases regularly, quickly met with the client and proceeded to file an emergency ex parte custody motion with the court. But, not before overcoming a few legal challenges along the way. Visitation Goes Wrong The client had been granted Intervenor status. She had cared for the children full-time in her home as their primary caregiver for the past two years. The opposing party, in this case, was the biological mother who had an existing visitation schedule with the children. During the last visitation, the mother took the [...]
An Unexpected DWI Refusal Hearing Win
Type of Case: DWI Refusal Hearing at the DMV Case Result: Hearing Won! Attorney: Clarke Dummit When our firm takes on DWI defense cases we often look for the needle in the haystack. Many times, we find it and many times we don’t. Occasionally we find a defense we were not expecting, and a case that looks like a pure losing case turns into a win. Attorney Clarke Dummit recently had that experience in a DWI refusal administrative hearing at the DMV. Know Your Rights When a person is arrested for DWI and taken to the breath testing room they will be read their Implied Consent Rights from the government form DHHS 4081. Afterward, the charging officer or trooper will request the person to submit to a breath or blood test. If the person refuses to take the test they will be marked as a Willful Refusal. [...]
Case Result: Father Maintains Child Custody in Forsyth County
Case Result: Father Maintains Custody After Motion to Dismiss Out-of-State Modification For a parent, few things are more distressing than the fear of losing time with your children. This anxiety is often amplified when an ex-spouse moves to another state and then attempts to change a custody order from afar. Our firm recently represented a father in Forsyth County who faced this exact challenge. This case underscores the crucial importance of understanding legal jurisdiction in interstate custody disputes and how a strategic legal motion can effectively protect a parent's rights. The Challenge: An Out-of-State Motion to Modify Custody and Visitation Our client, a dedicated father of two, had an established child custody order in North Carolina. His ex-wife subsequently moved out of state. Sometime after her move, she filed a "Motion to Modify Child Custody" with the court, seeking to drastically change the existing arrangement and [...]
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