Blog

Read our latest articles

11 Critical Questions to Ask When the Government Subpoenas a Mental Health Professional’s Records

We all know it’s coming. That point in the first meeting when a potential client asks, “everything I tell you is confidential, right?” Sometimes they use the term “privileged.” Technically, they shouldn’t have to ask that question because we would have established the limitations of confidentiality before the meeting. But our interactions with prospective clients…

Is Cruelty the Only Option?

Jimmy is a short, stout man. He has a huge smile surrounded by full cheeks. The tone of Jimmy’s voice matches that of other adults his age, but his speech is garbled. It is as if something interferes with the words as they make their way from his mouth to our ears. His message is sometimes…

Five Priorities When Your Client Is a Target of a Government Investigation

A client once shared with me that “nothing gets your attention like a visit from a federal agent.” I would add: “Unless it is a letter from the United States Attorney’s Office notifying you that you are a ‘target’ of a federal criminal investigation.”  A visit from federal agents can lead to several outcomes, including…

A fool for a lawyer

My first court appearance representing someone was in Jones County, North Carolina nearly thirty years ago. My friend got a speeding ticket on his way to the beach. Because of the complexities of the way insurance companies and the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles address traffic offenses in North Carolina, lawyers routinely represent people…

Everyone Tells Me They Had Two Beers

Years ago, a young man described an encounter he had with a seasoned State Trooper. The Trooper was stationed outside a local beer joint in a small town in Eastern North Carolina. He saw the young man leave the bar, walk to a small car, and drive away. Nothing about what he saw gave the…

When can I expect your call?

In News of the World by Paulette Jiles, Civil War Veteran Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd makes a living traveling around Texas reading newspapers to people who pay an admission fee of ten cents. Apparently, news was scarce in the years following the Civil War. I suspect the literacy rate increased Captain Kidd’s market too. The book is…

What should I do with these photos?

Some people do not understand modern methods of communicating and connecting. Emojis are the little images young and old alike include with their texts. Microsoft is updating its emojis this year just as people start to understand what the old ones mean. Acronyms like “idk,”  “ikr,” and “lmao” may be obvious to us, but other people need explanations. Some recipients have to text their children…

How can you protect my secrets?

Brandon Stanton worked as a bond trader in Chicago in 2010. He bought a camera and started taking photos in downtown Chicago on weekends. When Mr. Stanton lost his job, he moved to New York City with a plan to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers and plot their portraits on a map of the city. These photographs led to discussions…

Should the bullies go unanswered?

Sallie Krawcheck has been a fixture and powerful force on Wall Street for decades. Today, she is the chair of the Ellevate Network, a global professional women’s network, and CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, a “digital-first, mission-driven investment platform for women.” Among her objectives is the goal of elevating women by helping them build financial…

How do I speak for a frustrated, lonely widow?

Do you remember Imelda Marcos? She does not get a lot of press in the United States these days, but is still alive. She was making headlines in the Philippines just last year. Marcos and her husband, Ferdinand, ruled the Philippines for twenty-one years.  According to some reports, the couple was responsible for imprisoning, torturing, and killing thousands of…

Get me out of this mess, and do it quick.

We are bumping into our friends at the courthouse again. Despite the quiet and distance of the last fifteen months, our friends have not changed much. A lawyer friend of nearly thirty years stopped to chat on the courthouse steps yesterday. He was headed to another county. I was due in court. But, we had not…

Can I Trust You to Cure Me?

You may recognize this person. If she isn’t a close friend or family member, you know someone with a similar personality. She doesn’t tolerate fools. Although she is not completely humorless, she usually has better things to do than engage in light-hearted conversation. Her mind is sharp and her use of the English language exacting,…

Why Are You Nice to the Enemy?

My friend was a long-time public defender before he retired. Over four decades of public defense, he accumulated a lot of wisdom, which usually takes the form of self-deprecating, humorous, and instructive stories. One such story comes to mind. Years ago, my friend represented a client in a two-person conspiracy. The other person’s family had…

If I am presumed innocent, why am I in jail?

A lawyer down the street was ahead of the times in what came to be known as the “Me Too” movement. He developed a favorable reputation during the 80s and 90s representing children and (mostly) women in civil cases against the people who physically or sexually abused his clients. He remains passionate about the cause….

Some Good News Not to Report

The newspaper options in New Bern in the 1970s were The “Raleigh” News and Observer and The Sun Journal. My parents took both papers. The papers included the baseball box scores and, between the two of them, all the local and national sports coverage we could imagine. Walking up the driveway to collect the paper every morning or afternoon was part…

Don’t interfere when you are winning

Superior Court Judge J.B. Allen was a rather large man with a big personality. He had white hair, a booming voice, and a no-nonsense approach to the most mundane issue. Some say he was a bit of a bully. I tried my first serious case before Judge Allen. My client was accused of attempted murder…

How to respond to trustafarians

My friend stayed single longer than the rest of our peer group. Not that he didn’t have options. Arguably, his delay can be attributed to the fact that my friend was more handsome. Women really liked him and settling down can be a challenge for a young man with his qualities. After college, my friend…

Should you turn back now?

It has been a difficult week calling for difficult decisions. We started watching The Queen’s Gambit, which one review in The New Yorker called the “most satisfying show on television.” It is pretty compelling. But just as we immerse ourselves in Beth Harmon’s journey, season four of The Crown is released. It violates binge watching protocol to leave one show and…

Contact us now

Call, text, or email criminal defense attorney Amos Tyndall.

phone icon (919) 967-0504 email icon hello@amostyndall.com