North Carolina Criminal Law Updates
What Does the Court Consider? Are there any alternatives? Will I Serve Jail Time for my DWI?
Sentencing on Impaired Driving cases can be complicated in North Carolina. The Court considers a series of different factors.
DWI cases are complicated and can carry long-term consequences – Danny Glover
Modified Transcript of “Will I Serve Jail Time for my DWI” for the Hearing Impaired
If you’re convicted in DWI behind North Carolina, you do not automatically to jail, although in North
Carolina, you can go to jail on even a first offense.
Now, there is mandatory jail time in North Carolina if the judge finds the presence of at least one grossly
aggravating factor. Now there’s several of those. One is a prior DWI conviction in past seven years either
in North Carolina or in the other state in the country.
The second would be having a child under the age of 18 in the car, if there is a death or serious vital
injury involved in a DWI wreck, that can be a grossly aggravating factor.
If you’re driving on a revoked license and the license was previously revoked because of another DWI, that can be a grossly aggravating factor.
Those may require mandatory jail time, but no, you don’t automatically go unless one of those is present.