Criminal Law In North Carolina
Statistically, the statutes of North Carolina include some 400 plus criminal laws. They cover a wide degree of offenses including felonies. Felony charges comprise the most serious of North Carolina state criminal offenses. For these, you will be best served hiring a reputable criminal defense attorney. In Raleigh NC, hiring a good criminal defense attorney may be your best defense against the criminal charges.
What Are Criminal Offenses?
North Carolina criminal offenses consist of two categories. These are misdemeanors and felonies. Misdemeanors, as the name indicates, are less severe criminal charges than felony offenses. This is reflected in the type of sentencing scale dictate by the criminal statutes. In general, the amount of time served in jail or prison is substantially more under a felony than it is under a misdemeanor.
A criminal defense attorney is well aware of the seriousness of having a crime classified as a felony. Felonies in North Carolina are subdivided into different classes. In this system, a Class A Felony is the most severe while Class I is the least sever.
Classes of Felonies
In North Carolina, each class of felony contains various crimes. An example of each and the sentence are provided below:
* Class A: Murder. This results in a penalty of death or life without parole
* Class B1: Rape, Aggravated child molestation. The punishment is 144 months in prison to life without parole
* Class B2: Conspiracy to commit a Class A or B1 felony. Penalties are between 94 and 393 months in prison
* Class C: Aggravated assault; Kidnapping. The result is 44 to 182 months
* Class D: Armed robbery; First-degree arson. The sentence is 38 to 160 months
* Class E: Child molestation. Conviction results between 15 to 63 months in prison
* Class F: Involuntary manslaughter; Human trafficking of an adult. The result is 10 to 41 months in prison
* Class G: Robbery; Intimidating or interfering with witnesses. Penalties run from 8 to 31 months
* Class H: First-degree forgery. Sentences include a prison stay of 4 to 25 months
* Class I: Making terroristic threats. Punishment consists of 3 to 12 months.
Where May you Appear with Your Criminal Defense Attorney?
Criminal cases are heard in both the District and Superior Courts of North Carolina. This is true whether you committed the crime in Raleigh NC or elsewhere in the state. If the criminal offense falls into the serious category of felony, chances are you will be joining your criminal defense attorney in Superior Court.
If you find yourself facing a criminal charge, you will need to talk to a criminal defense attorney. In Raleigh NC, be sure to do it swiftly as North Carolina does not have a statute of limitations for criminal felony offenses.
If you are in need of a qualified Criminal Defense Attorney In Raleigh NC, contact the offices of the Scharff Law Firm, PLLC. Their experienced team of lawyers will be able to provide advice and guidance as you face this legal difficulty. If you want lean more about what we can offer you, visit us online at Website Domain.