Clarke & Newman PLLC
534 N. 35th StReet
Morehead City, nc 28557

Clarke & Newman PLLC 534 N. 35th StReet Morehead City, nc 28557Clarke & Newman PLLC 534 N. 35th StReet Morehead City, nc 28557Clarke & Newman PLLC 534 N. 35th StReet Morehead City, nc 28557

Clarke & Newman PLLC
534 N. 35th StReet
Morehead City, nc 28557

Clarke & Newman PLLC 534 N. 35th StReet Morehead City, nc 28557Clarke & Newman PLLC 534 N. 35th StReet Morehead City, nc 28557Clarke & Newman PLLC 534 N. 35th StReet Morehead City, nc 28557
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Criminal Trial Lawyers Who Will Go the Distance

Criminal Trial Lawyers Who Will Go the DistanceCriminal Trial Lawyers Who Will Go the DistanceCriminal Trial Lawyers Who Will Go the Distance
Free Consultation

Call (252) 222-5252

Criminal Trial Lawyers Who Will Go the Distance

Criminal Trial Lawyers Who Will Go the DistanceCriminal Trial Lawyers Who Will Go the DistanceCriminal Trial Lawyers Who Will Go the Distance
Free Consultation

Call (252) 222-5252

Your difficult situation can be managed.

Who we are and What we do -- Esse quam videri

  

  • We are aggressive criminal trial lawyers  focused  on protecting and defending  the liberty of  our clients  who are accused of criminal offenses in the state  courts of North Carolina.  We  know that the  pursuit of happiness is impossible without liberty,  and that the  right to a jury trial  can be the key to preserving  and protecting your  liberty.   Having rights does not  help you  much if you do not understand them or  exercise them.   We can help you to do both.    If you click on the "Experience"   selection above, you will  see  summaries  of some  cases where our clients'  rights to a jury trial were effectively  exercised and asserted to avoid or greatly reduce  the  loss  of their liberty that the state sought to impose.        


  •  Our law offices are located at 534 North 35th Street, in Morehead City, North Carolina.    Most of  our work for clients involves cases pending in eastern North Carolina, and   particularly in the counties of  Carteret, Craven and Pamlico , but we may, under certain circumstances,  accept cases in other areas within the state.  


  • We represent  clients accused of the full range of criminal offenses,  including  simple  "traffic tickets"  (motor vehicle offenses)  and all  Misdemeanor Criminal  Offenses, including  Driving While Impaired,   Probation Violations,   and  all  Felony crimes (and status offenses) including:  Habitual Felon, and other Habitual status charges,   Possession, Manufacture and Sale of  Controlled Substances,  Drug Trafficking,  B&E,  Larceny,  Burglary,  Arson,  Embezzlement,  Fraud,  Forgery,   Perjury,  Incest,  Weapons offenses,  False imprisonment,  Kidnapping, Abuse,   Maiming  Rape,  Sex Offenses,   Armed Robbery,   Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill Inflicting Serious Injury --AWDWIKISI,  and  every other type and level  of  felony Assault   including Homicides, from  Involuntary  Manslaughter to First Degree Murder.  Our team has  experience in fighting these serious cases at trial before judges and juries, and in negotiating plea agreements with prosecutors,  and we will gladly speak with you  about your case.   


  • By  saying we are “aggressive" we are not  describing a particular  demeanor in the courtroom ,  but  rather the   approach we have developed in handling  serious criminal cases over the years.   We begin seeking out , obtaining and understanding the evidence and working on  the best strategies that we can devise to move our clients' cases  toward a good outcome, as soon as we  become involved in a case.  We believe in spending  significant time with our clients, whether they are  in or  out of jail,  and  we have often uncovered important case details  only after having  met with our client on several occasions.   We ask a lot of questions.  And we often  ask them again and again.   We find that determining what is at the heart of a criminal case generally requires some digging.  So we dig.


  •   We are comfortable in  our chosen  role  as  defenders of  accused persons,  both in and  outside the courtroom,  knowing that  we are always working  in an adversarial  posture, against and opposed to  those  agents of the government  who have brought their  powers to bear against our clients,  and  any  others who may be out to harm our client's position.  This  does not imply personal animosity or  disrespect for those on the opposing side for doing their duty as they  may see it,   but rather  a respect for the power of the law , and  the extent  that the state  may be able to use the law  to deprive our client of liberty.  Our duty is to our client.   We practice criminal defense  by choice, and are highly motivated to fulfill all  the duties of that role. 


  •  The best interests of our clients  always require that we explore the  possibilities of  a plea  agreement  with the prosecutor handling the case, even if we expect the case to go to trial.  Understanding whether the prosecutor  has  formed strong opinions about you  or your case, and on what these opinions are based, can reveal issues pertaining to the case that we will need to address.  Sometimes we are able to supply facts or information that has not otherwise  been provided  to the prosecutor, that will  favorably alter their view of  some aspect of the case.  


  • In seeking an indictment by a grand jury, the state must show only "probable cause" when charging  a person with a felony.   Practically, this means that it is very easy for the state to charge a person with a serious offense, and have them arrested and placed in jail, often under a high bond, and  later indict  -- to bring them before the superior court  for trial or plea.   To get a conviction at trial,  the state is legally required to prove to the jury "guilt beyond a reasonable doubt" on each element of each  offense charged.  This is quite a bit more complex.   Whether the state would likely  be able  do this at trial, as to each particular charge  against our client, is the question we begin working on from the start.  



  • We closely study the various  investigation reports, recorded statements, and any other records and  evidence available from the state, and immediately pursue similar and additional information ourselves, often  through private investigators, and sometimes by use of experts in various fields.  In some past cases where our initial assessments indicated good potential for trial,  continued scrutiny of the evidence and additional information revealed that negotiating a plea agreement was clearly called for.  In other cases where the state's evidence at first seemed overwhelmingly to dictate a guilty plea, our continued investigations have uncovered good reasons why a trial would be very likely to produce better results than the  plea being offered.   We do not simply assume that  the state's offer of a plea to something less than what the client is charged with  is a good offer,  but we work hard to get  an accurate understanding of the evidence, so that we can provide our client with all the information available to make intelligent choices and to achieve the best possible results. 


  • Sometimes the nature of  a case may call for the assistance of an expert, such as a medical specialist, a firearms expert,  or a private investigator.   We have experience working with these and other  experts, and  have found that insights gained from them can lead to significant benefits and advantages for  the defense.   


  • Early investigative work often  uncovers facts that  lead us to look further for additional knowledge or evidence that may not  have been obtained and provided by the state, or  may later become unavailable for some  reason, like the death of a witness or the destruction of various  electronic records.  We cannot guarantee that we will be 100 percent  successful in obtaining all this potentially helpful information, but we have  the experience that tells us that it could be there, and we focus our efforts  early and throughout  the case  to obtain and preserve it. 

 

  • Our  approach, by definition,  does not mean that we ever expect to be able to deliver instant solutions in serious cases.   A very serious case that is going to trial may take  many months to a few years to  get on the trial calendar.  But we know  that if  the defense investigation and  preparation that are  necessary for trial are delayed, and mastery of the facts  by the defense team is  left till late in the process, some factual details that might have been helpful, could  be missed, and the confidence that we can effectively present the best possible defense case to the  jury may be diminished.  The more serious the case, the more time it will likely take to gather and digest all the available information, and  thereby  better understand the greatest challenges and most likely outcomes of the case at  trial.  We never assume that we have everything that might help with a case, so we regularly review and analyze  what we have,  to  see if it points to other information or evidence that  might exist.  And we keep looking.   We continue to prepare as for trial  until we  go to trial; or the case is dismissed;  or our client enters a plea.


That is what we mean by aggressive. 

Copyright © 2023 Clarke and Newman Criminal Defense - All Rights Reserved.


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