Felonies in North Carolina
The state of North Carolina has four specific qualifiers for defining a felony. These include that the offense can be punished by death, the offense was a common law felony, the offense can be punished by incarceration in a state prison, or the offense is deemed a felony through statute. Like many other states, North Carolina breaks its felonies into different classifications. However unlike other states, North Carolina does not have typical sentences for its felony offenses. One state may by law determine that a crime for robbery will be punishable by fifteen years in prison and another state may say it is punishable by twenty years in prison. North Carolina instead treats each case differently and measures each offense case by case.
Felony Classifications
Class A Felonies are the only felony classification that is typically punished the same way each time. Class A Felonies include murder, rape, and felony murder. These are normal punishable by life in a state prison without parole or by the death penalty. According to North Carolina law each case is treated differently and depends on the severity of the circumstances. Class B1 Felonies include sexual assault, manslaughter, drug crimes, sexual battery, kidnapping, and sexual offense towards a child. Each of these Class B1 Felonies are brought to court and punishments are received on a case-specific basis. Class B2 Felonies are treated on case-specific basis as each offense is different. These kinds of felonies include burglary, attempt to commit a Class A Felony, robbery, attempt to commit a Class B1 Felony, drug crimes, sexual crimes, and accessory after the fact.
Class C Felonies are sentenced accordingly and include the offenses of larceny of employees amounting to more than one hundred thousand dollars and patient abuse or patience neglect resulting in death due to intention misconduct. Class D Felonies include drug-related crimes and sodomy and are prosecuted on a case-by-case basis. Class E Felonies include sexual exploitation in the second degree, stalking in the second degree, and contaminating the public water supply. These felony punishments vary. Class F Felonies constitute patient neglect or patient abuse that results in the bodily harm of a patient, incest towards a minor, driving under the influence, and rebellion against the state. These offenses are sentenced in court according to their severity.
Class G Felonies include theft, the soliciting of a minor through the computer for illegal sexual acts, and felony driving. Class H Felonies include possessing stolen property, sexual exploitation in the third degree, employee larceny under one hundred thousand dollars, and continued criminal enterprise. Class I Felonies are the final category of felonies in North Carolina and include peeping into a private facility through the means of electronic equipment and the poisoning of livestock. All three categories are punishable on a case-by-case basis.
North Carolina Expungement
The state of North Carolina is currently determining the eligibility of who should be allowed to petition for expungement. No felonious act is allowed to be expunged according to present law, unless evidences points to identity theft.
