Winston-Salem Felony Lawyer

Any criminal offense will be labeled as either a felony or misdemeanor. While there is no such thing as a criminal charge that is not serious, a felony is considered the most serious type of charge that you can face. They are usually punished with stiffer jail sentences, and there are other impacts on your life when you are convicted of a felony.

While you need a dedicated defense lawyer to defend every case against you, there is an extra need to have an attorney in a felony case. All felonies are serious, but not every felony is the same. North Carolina law applies classifications to felonies, from Class A to Class I. Class A felonies are murder charges that would lead to life in prison. To schedule a consultation with a Winston-Salem felony lawyer, reach out to McMinn, Fradin, Gray & Logan today.

Besides jail time, there are also other penalties that a court may impose in a felony case that include:

• Probation
• Consent to drug testing
• Fines
• Assessment of court costs
• Restitution
• Community service

Punishment for a felony case may include a combination of jail time and one or more things from the list above. Even if you are not sentenced to time in prison, your freedom will still be affected, and there will be financial consequences. During your initial consultation, our Winston-Salem felony attorneys can determine what penalities you may be facing.

North Carolina courts would consider the following when imposing a sentence for a felony conviction:

• The felony class that was charged and convicted
• The defendant’s prior criminal record
• Other factors that could make the defendant more or less culpable

North Carolina has its own sentencing guidelines that judges consider before imposing a penalty in a criminal case.

Felony charges are extremely serious, and they are very nerve-wracking. You should never, ever try to defend felony charges on your own. The stakes are too high. Even when you have been charged with a felony, you have legal options. You can defend the charges against you or negotiate with the prosecutor for a potentially lighter sentence or reduced charges. Some prosecutors may allow you to plead down to a less serious felony charge or even a misdemeanor because they want to be guaranteed to win a conviction. Our felony attorneys can work hard to protect your rights throughout the legal process in Winston-Salem.