We at Motta & Muñoz strive to ensure that our clients know and understand the charges they are facing. For prospective clients we are more than happy to offer free consultations to discuss their legal issues.
The following are the sentencing terms in North Carolina as mandated by North Carolina General Statute § 15A‑1340.17. For questions about this table please contact one of our attorneys at 919-321-8277.
PRIOR RECORD LEVEL
I II III IV V VI
0‑1 Pt 2‑5 Pts 6‑9 Pts 10‑13 Pts 14‑17 Pts 18+ Pts
A Life Imprisonment Without Parole or Death as Established by Statute
A A A A A A DISPOSITION
240‑300 276‑345 317‑397 365‑456 Life Imprisonment Aggravated
Without Parole
B1 192‑240 221‑276 254‑317 292‑365 336‑420 386‑483 PRESUMPTIVE
144‑192 166‑221 190‑254 219‑292 252‑336 290‑386 Mitigated
A A A A A A DISPOSITION
157‑196 180‑225 207‑258 238‑297 273‑342 314‑393 Aggravated
B2 125‑157 144‑180 165‑207 190‑238 219‑273 251‑314 PRESUMPTIVE
94‑125 108‑144 124‑165 143‑190 164‑219 189‑251 Mitigated
A A A A A A DISPOSITION
73‑92 83‑104 96‑120 110‑138 127‑159 146‑182 Aggravated
C 58‑73 67‑83 77‑96 88‑110 101‑127 117‑146 PRESUMPTIVE
44‑58 50‑67 58‑77 66‑88 76‑101 87‑117 Mitigated
A A A A A A DISPOSITION
64‑80 73‑92 84‑105 97‑121 111‑139 128‑160 Aggravated
D 51‑64 59‑73 67‑84 78‑97 89‑111 103‑128 PRESUMPTIVE
38‑51 44‑59 51‑67 58‑78 67‑89 77‑103 Mitigated
I/A I/A A A A A DISPOSITION
25‑31 29‑36 33‑41 38‑48 44‑55 50‑63 Aggravated
E 20‑25 23‑29 26‑33 30‑38 35‑44 40‑50 PRESUMPTIVE
15‑20 17‑23 20‑26 23‑30 26‑35 30‑40 Mitigated
I/A I/A I/A A A A DISPOSITION
16‑20 19‑23 21‑27 25‑31 28‑36 33‑41 Aggravated
F 13‑16 15‑19 17‑21 20‑25 23‑28 26‑33 PRESUMPTIVE
10‑13 11‑15 13‑17 15‑20 17‑23 20‑26 Mitigated
I/A I/A I/A I/A A A DISPOSITION
13‑16 14‑18 17‑21 19‑24 22‑27 25‑31 Aggravated
G 10‑13 12‑14 13‑17 15‑19 17‑22 20‑25 PRESUMPTIVE
8‑10 9‑12 10‑13 11‑15 13‑17 15‑20 Mitigated
C/I/A I/A I/A I/A I/A A DISPOSITION
6‑8 8‑10 10‑12 11‑14 15‑19 20‑25 Aggravated
H 5‑6 6‑8 8‑10 9‑11 12‑15 16‑20 PRESUMPTIVE
4‑5 4‑6 6‑8 7‑9 9‑12 12‑16 Mitigated
C C/I I I/A I/A I/A DISPOSITION
6‑8 6‑8 6‑8 8‑10 9‑11 10‑12 Aggravated
I 4‑6 4‑6 5‑6 6‑8 7‑9 8‑10 PRESUMPTIVE
3‑4 3‑4 4‑5 4‑6 5‑7 6‑8 Mitigated
(d) Maximum Sentences Specified for Class F through Class I Felonies. — Unless provided otherwise in a statute establishing a punishment for a specific crime, for each minimum term of imprisonment in the chart in subsection (c) of this section, expressed in months, the corresponding maximum term of imprisonment, also expressed in months, is as specified in the table below for Class F through Class I felonies. The first figure in each cell in the table is the minimum term and the second is the maximum term.
3‑13 4‑14 5‑15 6‑17 7‑18 8‑19 9‑20 10‑21
11‑23 12‑24 13‑25 14‑26 15‑27 16‑29 17‑30 18‑31
19‑32 20‑33 21‑35 22‑36 23‑37 24‑38 25‑39 26‑41
27‑42 28‑43 29‑44 30‑45 31‑47 32‑48 33‑49 34‑50
35‑51 36‑53 37‑54 38‑55 39‑56 40‑57 41‑59 42‑60
43‑61 44‑62 45‑63 46‑65 47‑66 48‑67 49‑68
(e) Maximum Sentences Specified for Class B1 through Class E Felonies for Minimum Terms up to 339 Months. — Unless provided otherwise in a statute establishing a punishment for a specific crime, for each minimum term of imprisonment in the chart in subsection (c) of this section, expressed in months, the corresponding maximum term of imprisonment, also expressed in months, is as specified in the table below for Class B1 through Class E felonies. The first figure in each cell of the table is the minimum term and the second is the maximum term.
15‑30 16‑32 17‑33 18‑34 19‑35 20‑36 21‑38 22‑39
23‑40 24‑41 25‑42 26‑44 27‑45 28‑46 29‑47 30‑48
31‑50 32‑51 33‑52 34‑53 35‑54 36‑56 37‑57 38‑58
39‑59 40‑60 41‑62 42‑63 43‑64 44‑65 45‑66 46‑68
47‑69 48‑70 49‑71 50‑72 51‑74 52‑75 53‑76 54‑77
55‑78 56‑80 57‑81 58‑82 59‑83 60‑84 61‑86 62‑87
63‑88 64‑89 65‑90 66‑91 67‑93 68‑94 69‑95 70‑96
71‑98 72‑99 73‑100 74‑101 75‑102 76‑104 77‑105 78‑106
79‑107 80‑108 81‑110 82‑111 83‑112 84‑113 85‑114 86‑115
87‑117 88‑118 89‑119 90‑120 91‑122 92‑123 93‑124 94‑125
95‑126 96‑128 97‑129 98‑130 99‑131 100‑132 101‑134 102‑135
103‑136 104‑137 105‑138 106‑140 107‑141 108‑142 109‑143 110‑144
111‑146 112‑147 113‑148 114‑149 115‑150 116‑152 117‑153 118‑154
119‑155 120‑156 121‑158 122‑159 123‑160 124‑161 125‑162 126‑164
127‑165 128‑166 129‑167 130‑168 131‑170 132‑171 133‑172 134‑173
135‑174 136‑176 137‑177 138‑178 139‑179 140‑180 141‑182 142‑183
143‑184 144‑185 145‑186 146‑188 147‑189 148‑190 149‑191 150‑192
151‑194 152‑195 153‑196 154‑197 155‑198 156‑200 157‑201 158‑202
159‑203 160‑204 161‑206 162‑207 163‑208 164‑209 165‑210 166‑212
167‑213 168‑214 169‑215 170‑216 171‑218 172‑219 173‑220 174‑221
175‑222 176‑224 177‑225 178‑226 179‑227 180‑228 181‑230 182‑231
183‑232 184‑233 185‑234 186‑236 187‑237 188‑238 189‑239 190‑240
191‑242 192‑243 193‑244 194‑245 195‑246 196‑248 197‑249 198‑250
199‑251 200‑252 201‑254 202‑255 203‑256 204‑257 205‑258 206‑260
207‑261 208‑262 209‑263 210‑264 211‑266 212‑267 213‑268 214‑269
215‑270 216‑271 217‑273 218‑274 219‑275 220‑276 221‑278 222‑279
223‑280 224‑281 225‑282 226‑284 227‑285 228‑286 229‑287 230‑288
231‑290 232‑291 233‑292 234‑293 235‑294 236‑296 237‑297 238‑298
239‑299 240‑300 241‑302 242‑303 243‑304 244‑305 245‑306 246‑308
247‑309 248‑310 249‑311 250‑312 251‑314 252‑315 253‑316 254‑317
255‑318 256‑320 257‑321 258‑322 259‑323 260‑324 261‑326 262‑327
263‑328 264‑329 265‑330 266‑332 267‑333 268‑334 269‑335 270‑336
271‑338 272‑339 273‑340 274‑341 275‑342 276‑344 277‑345 278‑346
279‑347 280‑348 281‑350 282‑351 283‑352 284‑353 285‑354 286‑356
287‑357 288‑358 289‑359 290‑360 291‑362 292‑363 293‑364 294‑365
295‑366 296‑368 297‑369 298‑370 299‑371 300‑372 301‑374 302‑375
303‑376 304‑377 305‑378 306‑380 307‑381 308‑382 309‑383 310‑384
311‑386 312‑387 313‑388 314‑389 315‑390 316‑392 317‑393 318‑394
319‑395 320‑396 321‑398 322‑399 323‑400 324‑401 325‑402 326‑404
327‑405 328‑406 329‑407 330‑408 331‑410 332‑411 333‑412 334‑413
335‑414 336‑416 337‑417 338‑418 339‑419
(e1) Maximum Sentences Specified for Class B1 through Class E Felonies for Minimum Terms of 340 Months or More. — Unless provided otherwise in a statute establishing a punishment for a specific crime, when the minimum sentence is 340 months or more, the corresponding maximum term of imprisonment shall be equal to the sum of the minimum term of imprisonment and twenty percent (20%) of the minimum term of imprisonment, rounded to the next highest month, plus 12 additional months.
(f) Maximum Sentences Specified for Class B1 Through Class E Sex Offenses. — Unless provided otherwise in a statute establishing a punishment for a specific crime, for offenders sentenced for a Class B1 through E felony that is a reportable conviction subject to the registration requirement of Article 27A of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes, the maximum term of imprisonment shall be equal to the sum of the minimum term of imprisonment and twenty percent (20%) of the minimum term of imprisonment, rounded to the next highest month, plus 60 additional months.
Source: North Carolina General Statute § 15A‑1340.17.
Being convicted of a traffic-related offense can have a serious adverse affect on your driver’s license! Below are the point values for some potential traffic convictions.
Conviction Point Value (Note: Accumulation of 12 points within a 3-year period results in a revocation)
Did you know that aside from driver’s license points, there are also things called insurance points? Being convicted of a traffic-related offense can potentially cause you to get points on your insurance, which in turn might cause your automobile insurance rates to increase. Here are just a few of the common traffic convictions and the insurance points that come with them.
Insurance Points
Points % of Rate Cost if Basic Points % of Rate Cost if Basic
Increase Rate is $300 Increase Rate is $300
1 30% $390 7 165% $795
2 45% $435 8 195% $885
3 60% $480 9 225% $975
4 80% $540 10 260% $1,080
5 110% $630 11 300% $1,200
6 135% $705 12 340% $1,320
Source: NC Dept of Insurance
Convictions and At-Fault Accidents
Manslaughter or Negligent Homicide 12
Prearranged highway racing (P.H.R.) 12
Lending a car for P.H.R. 12
Hit & Run resulting in bodily injury/death 12
Driving While Impaired 12
Transporting illegal intoxicating liquor for sale 12
Highway racing or lending a car for same 10
Speeding to elude arrest 10
Driving during license revocation or suspension 8
Aggressive driving 8
Passing a stopped school bus 4
Reckless driving 4
Hit and run, property damage only 4
Speeding in excess of 75 mph
(when speed limit is < 70 mph) 4
Speeding in excess of 80 mph
(when speed limit is 70 mph or greater) 4
Driving by a person less than age 21
after consuming alcohol or drugs 4
At-fault accident resulting in death, OR total bodily injury (to all) in excess of $1800 OR resulting in total property damage
of $3000 or more 3
Illegal passing 2
Following too closely 2
Driving on wrong side of road 2
At-fault accident resulting in total property damage (to all) in excess of $1800,
but less than $3000 2
Speeding more than 10 mph over the speed limit, provided the total speed is in excess
of 55 mph, but less than 76 mph 2
Speeding 10 mph or less in excess of
speed zone of 55 mph or greater 2
All other moving violations 1
At-fault accident resulting bodily injury (to all) of $1800 or less; OR resulting in property
damage of $1800 or less 1
Speeding 10 mph or less in excess of
speed limit of less than 55 mph 1
Source: NC Dept of Insurance
Driving While Impaired (DWI) is one of the most litigious crimes in the NC courts today. More scrutiny is placed on DWI cases than any other, as decisions made by the District Attorney’s office as well as the local Judges are checked and evaluated by groups throughout the state. Groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and other anti-drunk driver organizations have pushed many DWI cases to the front page of local newspapers.
A higher percentage of DWI cases go to trial than virtually any other crime, including murder. If you are charged with a DWI, you want an attorney who is skilled in defending a DWI, one who knows what the State needs to prove, and how the defense can best attack the weaknesses in the State’s case. Stephen Motta is the attorney for you. Stephen has worked for over eight years as an assistant district attorney (“ADA”) in five NC counties (including Orange and Chatham counties for over five years), and in that time he has tried hundreds of DWI cases in both District and Superior courts. Since opening his private practice in 2010, he has successfully defended people with DWI charges by using his experience that he gained as an ADA: by spotting the weaknesses in the State’s case, and attacking those weaknesses to the client’s advantage.
DWI Defense & Litigation
There are three main hurdles that the State has to clear in order to prove that a person has committed the crime of DWI: reasonable suspicion to stop the vehicle; probable cause to arrest; and proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the driver was appreciably impaired.
A person commits the offense of impaired driving if he
1) drives any vehicle
2) upon any highway, any street, or any public vehicular area within this State:
3) while
The results of a chemical analysis shall be deemed sufficient evidence to prove a person’s alcohol concentration.
DWI Punishments
According to North Carolina Statute (N.C.G.S. 20-179), punishments for a DWI conviction depend upon past records and certain facts and circumstances about the current DWI conviction (if someone was injured, any youths in the vehicle, prior DWIs, etc.). Here are the minimum and maximum punishments based on the 6 levels of punishment that exist in NC: (Note: C.S. means Community Service)
Level Minimum Sentence Maximum Sentence
Aggravated
Level 1 120 days in Prison Three Years in prison / $10,000 fine
Level 1 30 days in Jail Two Years in prison / $4,000 fine
Level 2 7 days in Jail One Year in prison / $2,000 fine
Level 3 72 hours of C.S. (or 72 hours in jail) 6 months in prison / $1000 fine
Level 4 48 hours of C.S. (or 48 hours in jail) 120 days in prison / $500 fine
Level 5 24 hours of C.S. (or 24 hours in jail) 60 days in prison / $200 fine
To schedule a consultation or to speak with an attorney, call (919) 321-8277.
Phone:
(919) 321-8277
Fax:
(919) 237-9271
Office Hours:
M – F
9:00am to 5:00pm
100 E. Parrish Street
Suite 450
Durham, NC 27701
Teléfono:
(919) 321-8277
Fax:
(919) 237-9271
Horario de Oficina:
De Lunes a Viernes, de 9:00am a 5:00pm
100 E. Parrish Street
Suite 450
Durham, NC 27701
