Patrick Anstead, an attorney at The Richardson Firm, was recently featured on WRAL News for his work in a Civil Rights case:

Hoke County Sheriff’s Office pays $75,000 to settle wrongful arrest lawsuit (wral.com)

The Hoke County Sheriff’s Office has settled a civil rights lawsuit for $75,000 with a woman who claimed she was wrongfully arrested and unlawfully detained.

The sheriff’s office on Oct. 3 agreed to settle Samantha Fugate’s civil rights claims, which alleged that deputies had falsely charged her with felon in possession of a firearm by providing false information to a magistrate to secure a felony warrant against her.

Fugate, who had a legally registered firearm, was arrested due to deputies’ mistaken belief that she had a felony conviction in Colorado.

The arrest occurred when deputies responded to a routine call and found the firearm in her possession despite her cooperation and valid identification. Although Fugate had a clean record, she spent two days in the Hoke County Detention Center before posting bail. The charges against her were later dropped.

“Deputies had reasonable grounds to know the information they were providing to the magistrate was false but proceeded anyway,” Patrick R. Anstead, Fugate’s attorney said. “The charging officer made false statements under oath in reckless disregard for Ms. Fugate’s civil rights.”

Attorney Patrick Anstead represents individuals in civil rights cases in Fayetteville and Eastern, North Carolina.

The Richardson Firm attorney Patrick Anstead recently helped a client receive a $60,000 settlement and a written apology from the Fayetteville Police Department.

Read the full article from CBS17 here: https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/cumberland-county-news/woman-wrongfully-arrested-in-fayetteville-drive-by-shooting-case-receives-settlement-from-police/

If you have been charged with a crime, it is important to take steps to protect yourself. The most important action is to hire an experienced North Carolina criminal defense attorney.

It is imperative that you know what to look for in a criminal defense lawyer and it is a good idea to come up with questions to ask when you are choosing your attorney.

Multiple attorneys at The Richardson Firm are authorized to practice law in federal court. In some cases, you can waive your appearance in Federal court by hiring The Richardson Firm to represent you.

GENERAL QUESTIONS TO ASK A CRIMINAL LAW ATTORNEY

At the first meeting you have, you may want to ask some general questions. Some good questions to ask are:

• What is your role throughout the criminal defense process? This is an opportunity for you to learn more about the benefits of working with a criminal defense lawyer and how a criminal defense lawyer can assist you when you’re facing criminal charges.
• What is your experience managing cases like mine? When facing criminal charges, you want to make sure you are working with someone that has experience and a history of success.
• What is your background, experience, and education? It is important to learn about your attorney’s background, case experience, and education. Some additional questions you can ask – Where did they go to school? Are they board-certified? For how long have they been practicing law?
• Will you be the one managing my case? It is important to fully understand everyone that will be working on your case. Sometimes, the lawyer that you meet with during an initial case consultation isn’t the attorney who will be representing you during the process.
• How much do you charge? Hiring an attorney does cost with a price — it is important to understand all of those costs. When the attorney is good at their job, it is money well spent.

QUESTIONS TO ASK A CRIMINAL JUSTICE PRACTICE

You should feel able to ask the criminal attorney questions about the criminal justice process and specifically your case. Questions that may pertain to you include:

• What types of penalties are associated with my case? It is important that you know what the penalties are in the event that you are convicted of the crime for which you’ve been charged. Knowing the penalties may influence how you want to approach your case, such as pleading innocent or pleading guilty in exchange for a concession from the prosecution.
• What are my options? While pleading innocent is always an option, it is important to know other options for your case. Working with your attorney, you should also find out what your options may be when it comes to entering a plea, which you will be expected to do shortly after you are charged.
• What should I expect throughout the process? The criminal legal process contains arraignments, hearings, meetings, and trial dates. The order of these occurring and what to expect during each can be confusing. It is important that you understand each and every event during the criminal process and are prepared for each one.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A CRIMINAL LAW ATTORNEY

When deciding whether to hire a criminal defense attorney, you should take into consideration the following:

Experience. An attorney who has been practicing for many years will likely have a better understanding of the criminal process and everyone involved. Make sure that your attorney also has trial experience like the attorneys at The Richardson Firm.

Success. Remember to ask an attorney about how many cases he or she has won vs. lost. If an attorney hasn’t won cases in the past, or has lost more than he or she has won, you probably don’t want to hire that person.

Compassion. If you’re not working with an attorney who cares about you and can empathize with what you’re going through, the attorney may not be as motivated to work hard on your behalf.

Resources. You need to work with a criminal defense law firm in North Carolina that has the resources, staff, and finances to commit to your case. Investigating criminal defense cases, hiring experts, organizing documents, creating graphics and charts, and more all take time, money, and skill.

CONTACT OUR CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYERS TODAY!

If you or someone you love has been charged with a crime, you should seek immediate legal defense representation. If not handled in an effective and time-efficient manner, your criminal charge could quickly turn into a conviction that will follow you around for the rest of your life. From traffic violations to capital murder charges, our experienced criminal defense attorneys in Fayetteville will fight on your behalf. Our number one priority is to protect your rights and interests.

When you come in for your free initial consultation, you will sit down with one of our criminal defense attorneys in Fayetteville to discuss the charges you are facing. After giving you an honest assessment of your case, we will discuss your options going forward. Although we cannot make your charges go away, we will work together in an effort to protect your name and your future. Call us at 910-488-5050 or contact us online to schedule your appointment.

Hurricane Matthew Insurance Claims

Disaster struck the East coast when Hurricane Matthew unexpectedly wreaked havoc on small towns of North Carolina. Fayetteville saw over 10 inches of rain, flooding the city and leaving homeowners stranded, without power, and afraid of what was to come. Lumberton, a small town about 30 miles south of Fayetteville, saw the worst of the flooding and destruction. As Fayetteville and the surrounding communities work together to get back on their feet, many homeowners have returned to face the flood damage in their homes.

Protect Your Legal Rights

Homeowners throughout the area are filing property damage claims with insurance carriers in attempts to receive necessary compensation to repair the damage left by Hurricane Matthew. The amount of claims being filed is historic for the state and because of the high volume of claims, insurance companies are having difficulty processing them.

In the past years following major hurricanes, property damage insurance companies have failed to satisfy valid hurricane property damage claims in a timely manner. In some cases, insurance companies may tell homeowners that the damage their home sustained due to Hurricane Matthew is excluded or not covered in their policy. The last thing that you want to hear after you’ve already lost everything is that you won’t be compensated for your losses.

Don’t take “no” for an answer. You paid good money for insurance protection and there are laws that protect you against unfair treatment. Our team of certified Fayetteville attorneys are here for you in your time of need. We’ll help you receive a prompt and fair settlement for your property damage insurance claim.

Contact The Richardson Firm

If you are looking for more information on your flood insurance claim, contact our experienced Fayetteville attorneys! The Richardson Firm is here to serve and support our North Carolina community.

Attorney Billy Richardson has announced his intention to fill the vacancy left by Representative Rick Glazier’s resignation from his seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives. The vacancy will be filled by a committee from the local Democratic Party.

Billy served previously in the legislature from 1992-1996.

Writers from the Fayetteville Observer have given Billy “front-runner” status:

http://www.fayobserver.com/blogs/news/peoples_business/people-s-biz-ed-melvin-withdraws-from-consideration-for-glazier/article_1115a5e8-145f-11e5-a795-b35b49496f06.html