North Carolina residents accused of marijuana possession will have the right to defend themselves against their charges in criminal court. Furthermore, the individuals will not be convicted or punished until — and only if — they are proved guilty of their marijuana crimes beyond a reasonable doubt.
That said, the way an individual decides to defend against a marijuana charge will depend on several factors. First, the defendant will need to have an in-depth understanding of the law, the requirements for conviction and the potential punishments associated with conviction. Second, the defendant will need to know what kind of evidence is being brought against him or her and whether a conviction is even likely to occur.
In terms of marijuana possession crimes in North Carolina, the punishments associated with conviction are particularly severe:
- For .5 ounces of pot and under, the charge is considered a Class 3 misdemeanor and the punishment is a max of $200.
- For .5 to 1.5 ounces of pot, it’s a Class 1 misdemeanor that comes with a max fine of $1,000 and a max prison sentence of 45 days.
- For 1.5 ounces of marijuana up to 10 pounds of marijuana, the crime is considered a Class 1 felony and it comes with three to eight months of prison time along with a discretionary fine.
Were you accused of possessing marijuana in North Carolina? The thoughts and perceptions related to marijuana are changing throughout the country. This may help you with your criminal defense in the end — especially if you have an intelligent and experienced criminal defense lawyer on your side.
Source: norml.com, “North Carolina Penalties,” accessed Oct. 13, 2017