Recent News
Sweepstakes gaming company pulls up stakes in NC - "This is
huge."
RALEIGH, N.C. — A company providing software for video
sweepstakes cafes said it's leaving North Carolina because
it's getting too hard to do business in the state.
International Internet Technologies LLC, sent the March 19
letter outlining its plans to several North Carolina law
enforcement agencies.
View Story.
Cumberland
County sheriff, district attorney announce crackdown on video
gambling operations
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday began
raiding video gambling sweepstakes cafes still operating in
Cumberland County since the state Supreme Court in December
ruled they are illegal.
View Story.
Cumberland Authorities Discuss Sweepstakes Crackdown
Cumberland County authorities announce plans to crack down
on video sweepstakes parlors.
View Story.
New Haywood Sheriff Pledges Modern, Professional Leadership
Greg Christopher, a 51-year-old former lieutenant in the
N.C. State Patrol, assumed the role of top lawman in Haywood
County this week.
The position was left vacant by retired Sheriff Bobby
Suttles, who served just four years in the post. Christopher
was chosen as the new sheriff by Haywood County Democratic
Party leaders during the weekend and was affirmed by county
commissioners Monday. He received two standing ovations from
a room full of supporters and sheriff’s deputies after the
commissioners unanimously approved his nomination.
Read more.
Baker vs. Sheriff Carson Smith --- NC Court of Appeals ---
Detention Officers are "Public Officials" Entitled to
Governmental Immunity
The law in
North Carolina has long been clear that sheriffs and deputy
sheriffs are “public officials” and are entitled to governmental
immunity from being personally liable in a civil lawsuit.
Read
more.
Video Sweepstakes Ban Upheld
Now that North Carolina’s ban on video sweepstakes has been
upheld in court, the Sheriffs’ Association is seeking legal
guidance on how soon law enforcement offices can resume
enforcement of the law.
The Association is requesting
advice from the N.C. Attorney General’s Office.
We expect an answer soon.
The Supreme Court of North Carolina
upheld the ban’s constitutionality Friday.
The court issued opinions in
two cases, Hest Technologies and Sandhill Amusements.
Read the decision.
Read the decision.
The Sheriffs' Association has long
supported the ban.
During this year’s legislative
session, state Rep. Frank McGuirt, retired Sheriff of Union
County, called sweepstakes parlors “video larceny."
The fight may not be over.
The News & Observer quoted a spokesman for the industry as saying that
“owners will seek to keep their establishments open by making
adjustments to their business model to meet the letter of the
law.”
After
last week’s decision to uphold the ban on video sweepstakes, the
video sweepstakes industry asked the Supreme Court of North
Carolina to stay the enforcement of their decisions. The Supreme
Court has denied the request of the sweepstakes industry.
Therefore, as of now, enforcement of
the law against video sweepstakes can resume on January 3, 2013.
If anything changes, we will notify you as soon as we are
advised.
Metal
Theft Prevention Act of 2012
In the 2012 session of the General Assembly, House Bill 199,
Metal Theft Prevention Act of 2012 was passed to help combat
the growing issue of copper theft. This new law will take
effect October 1, 2012 and is important to be aware of given
the important role of the sheriffs in its enforcement.
House Bill 199 requires a person who purchases both
ferrous and nonferrous metals (metals not containing
significant quantities of iron or steel, i.e., copper) to
obtain a permit from the sheriff authorizing the person to
engage in the business of a secondary metals recycler. The
Attorney General’s Office was directed to develop an
application form and a permit form for this purpose. A
permit is valid for 12 months and shall be valid only for
fixed sites in the county of issuance and a permit must be
obtained for each fixed site.
Read
the Bill.
Harassment by Paper
In Guilford County, judges are on the receiving end of
lawsuits filed by ‘sovereign citizens’
Most people are dismayed to find themselves named as a
defendant in a lawsuit. The district court judges of
Guilford County are getting used to it. Most recently, two
judges were served August 2 with a suit alleging “grand
theft auto” filed by a woman who had been pulled over for a
traffic stop.
Read more.
Surry County Sheriff's Office receives donated armored
vehicle
The Surry County Sheriff's Office received an armored
vehicle donated by Grantic Tactical. WXII's Stephanie
Berzinski goes for a test drive.
Read more.
Crime In North Carolina - 2011
Annual Summary Report of
2011 Uniform Crime Reporting Data
The rate per 100,000 people of Crime Index offenses reported
to law enforcement agencies throughout North Carolina
decreased 0.9 percent during 2011 when compared to the
figures reported in 2010.
Read more.
Retired Gaston County Sheriff Leroy Russell passed away on
Thursday, July 5, 2012 (By Joe
DePriest, Charlotte Observer)
Retired Gaston County Sheriff Leroy Russell died early
Thursday in hospice care. He was 72. “He was my good
friend and mentor,” said Alan Cloninger, who was appointed
sheriff in 2004 after Russell retired. “I always respected
him. He taught me that working for the people was a great
honor.”
Read more.
'Raise the Age' Falls Short
(By Laura Leslie, WRAL)
WRAL-TV: Raleigh, N.C.
—
A proposal to raise the age at which North
Carolina teens can be charged as adults appears to have run
out of steam this session.
Read more.
The Issues Lawmakers Left on the Table
(By Mark Binker and Laura Leslie, WRAL)
WRAL-TV: Raleigh, N.C.
—
Leaders at the General Assembly plan to shut down their
session for the year on Monday or Tuesday. Sine Die -- Latin
for "without day" -- adjournment means lawmakers do not plan
on doing any further work this year.
Read more.
Eddie
Caldwell Honored at the National Sheriffs' Association's Annual
Conference
Eddie Caldwell, Executive Vice
President and General Counsel of the North Carolina
Sheriffs' Association, was honored for serving as the
2009 - 2012
Chair of the National Sheriffs' Association's (NSA)
Committee of State Executive Directors and Presidents during
the NSA's Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
NC Committee OKs bill that gives felons new start
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Some felons in North Carolina would get a
fresh start under a bill passed by a Senate panel Wednesday
that allows judges to erase some nonviolent convictions if
the individuals meet a series of requirements.
Read more.
Supreme Court of
North Carolina Upholds Officers’ Right to Stop Weaving Cars
NCSA Filed “Friend of the Court” Brief in Case
The NC Sheriffs' Association, along with the Conference of
District Attorneys and the Association of Police Attorneys,
filed a “friend of the court” brief urging the Supreme Court
to reject the Court of Appeals analysis and to let officers
stop the weaving vehicles before they are involved in a
crash.
Read more.
Bladen County
Deputy Killed in Crash
WRAL-TV:
Bladen County, N.C. — A Bladen County sheriff's deputy died
Friday night en route to a call when his car crashed, the
sheriff's office said. Dewayne Charles Hester, 39, had been with
the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office for a little over a year.
Before that, he was a police officer in Elizabethtown. Hester is
survived by his wife and two children.Visitation will be held
for Hester from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Hickory Grove Baptist
Church in Bladenboro. A funeral is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at
the church's Family Life Center.
Full Story
Concealed Weapons
in Restaurants that Serve Alcohol
RALEIGH NEWS & OBSERVER:
Bill would allow concealed weapons in restaurants that serve
alcohol -- The bill, which was approved by a Senate
committee Thursday, would allow anyone with a permit to carry a
concealed weapon to bring that gun into a restaurant that serves
alcohol. The bill also clarifies what part of park property that
firearms would be allowed.
Read More
Critics Say
GOP-passed Legislation on Gang Prevention Too Weak
WSOC-TV:
Critics say gang prevention bill passed by GOP-led legislature
is too weak -- A bill the GOP-led legislature passed and
Gov. Bev Perdue is expected to sign into law should give
cities more power to fight gangs. However, many people think
it's too weak to make any real difference. While police go after
gang members in criminal court, the bill would give cities more
power to fight them in civil court. That means Charlotte would
be able to use the courts to prevent known gang members from
hanging out with each other anymore.
Read More
Opposed to
Legislation to Raise the Juvenile Age from 16 to 18
The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association strongly opposes –
as we have for years – legislation that would raise the
juvenile age from 16 to 18.
Read More
Effort on NC
juvenile court age still lacks unity
AP Story on the subject of House Bill 632.
Read More
