NC DNA Bill: Collection before conviction
By William R. Toler With a few strokes of a pen, Gov. Bev Perdue signed away the Fourth Amendment rights of anyone charged with a violent crime. Not convicted, mind you, but charged. So much for...
View ArticleSurveillance Society
By William R. Toler As technology increases, both in the government and private sector, it seems that our right to privacy continues to decrease. Recently, Popular Mechanics reported that the Michigan...
View ArticleFirst Amendment vs. Second Amendment
By William R. Toler Similar bills in several states could have civil libertarians scratching their heads, trying to decide what side to stand on. Three southern states, including North Carolina,...
View ArticleFourth Amendment flushed in court decisions
By William R. Toler “I’d like to get some sleep before I travel. But if you’ve got a warrant, I guess you’re gonna come in.” The late Jerry Garcia would be disappointed–as are many civil...
View ArticleSix years gone and the dream lives on
It’s now been six years since the first issue of the Independent Register rolled off the presses and was distributed across CravenCounty. A dream of three budding journalists fulfilled after three days...
View ArticleRivers’ claims don’t hold water
By William R. Toler When a retail giant refused to carry her latest book, comedian Joan Rivers wasn’t laughing. Intead, she handcuffed herself to a shopping cart at a Costco in Burbank, Calif. in...
View ArticleFormer Marine detained, held for mental evaluation over Facebook posts
By William R. Toler In a move that would have only seemed possible to some during the Bush Administration, a Virginia man has been taken into custody and is being held against his will, without...
View ArticleUpdates: Raub released, Ademo appeals
By William R. Toler One week after being detained, a former Marine can return to his Virginia home. Thursday, a judge ordered the release of Brandon Raub, who had been shuffled between two psychiatric...
View ArticleThe Failure Presidency
By Zac Goldstein History does not unfold in a vacuum, and neither do presidential terms. Nearly four years have passed since Barack Obama was elected, and in order to evaluate his tenure in the Oval...
View ArticleNC Sex Offender Registry should offer more info
By Corey Friedman Want to know if your neighbor’s a registered sex offender? North Carolina law makes it easy to find out. But when it comes to checking on a classmate or store clerk, state residents...
View ArticleRandom thoughts of a borderline anarchist Part 1: Roots of a radical
By William R. Toler It’s sort of a running joke around the office that I’m the “free speech, anti-government guy.” In fact, that’s often how the executive producer introduces me to newcomers. (Despite...
View ArticleN.C. develops plan to regulate drones, including photography limits
By Corey Friedman If loose lips can sink ships, loose language can crash a statewide plan to regulate drones before the first unmanned flying machines even get off the ground. Lawmakers on a special...
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