Felonies in North Carolina

What is a Felony?

Felonies are serious crimes. Historically, felonies were crimes for which you could be imprisoned more than a year. These days, the North Carolina Legislature will specify whether a crime is a felony or not. Many crimes may be either felonies or misdemeanors, depending on the value of the item in question (in the case of theft) or the amount of injury or damage caused. Mast Law Firm can help!

What Kind of Crimes are Felonies?

Violent felonies can be anything from First Degree Murder (the most severe crime in North Carolina) to Robbery with a Dangerous Weapon (Armed Robbery). Violent felonies include rapes, sex offenses, violent assaults, attempted murder, manslaughter (a form of killing), and burglaries. Other felonies include such crimes as drug trafficking, possession of drugs with intent to sell and deliver (PWISD), manufacturing of drugs, larceny, embezzlement, obtaining property by false pretenses and other kinds of thefts, and Breaking & Entering.

In addition, felonies also can include sentencing enhancement laws. These are laws that punish repeat offenses. For instance, North Carolina has a habitual felon law (three strikes) which increases the punishment for someone’s fourth (or more) felony conviction. North Carolina also has a less common violent habitual felon law, which imposes a life sentence for a second violent felony. And North Carolina has a habitual assault law that punishes multiple assaults more harshly. This is all an attempt to ensure everyone has a second chance while not giving them the freedom to commit crimes as they want.

A key difference between a felony conviction and a misdemeanor conviction is that a felony conviction will result in the loss of certain citizenship rights, including the right to vote and the right to hold public office. These rights are restored after prison or probation ends. In addition, a person who is a convicted felon may never possess a firearm or ammunition for a firearm ever again. If the person does, the person is liable for up to 10 years in federal prison for possessing something as small as a shotgun shell. There are a lot of small details you need to stay aware of if you are charged with a felony. A felony charge can alter your everyday life drastically.

Overall, a felony conviction is a serious matter. If possible, you should hire a lawyer as quickly as possible if you believe you may be charged with a felony. And under no circumstances should you speak with the police about the case without your lawyer present. Call the Mast Law Firm today with any and all questions, we will do our best to point you in the right direction or get you to come into the office to speak with us.

Can Anything be Done to Reduce My Sentence?

Above I describe various appeals available to someone convicted of a crime. While the chances for success are slim, those are the best chances for success. In general – short of a pardon, or the very rare event where someone is found innocent of a crime after conviction – there is no way to reduce a prison sentence if no errors are found with how the trial was conducted.

How Much Will an Attorney Cost?

The cost of hiring an attorney to handle a felony varies greatly. Some felonies can be handled relatively easily. But many felonies require much work, review, and investigation. Often, a client will hire an attorney to represent them at the District Court level on the felony. Fees generally start at $2,500 to handle the District Court stage of a felony. If the case is eventually sent to Superior Court, the fees are negotiable for continued representation. For more information, view our legal services page!

For more information, visit our legal services page.

To discuss the specifics of your case, please contact a criminal defense lawyer at Mast Law Firm for a free consultation.

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