Source: https://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/Legislation/North-Carolina
Timestamp: 2018-08-14 21:08:08
Document Index: 290655338

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 20', '§ 143', '§ 143', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 143', '§ 23', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 15', '§ 14', '§ 14', '§ 132']

Gang-Related Legislation—North Carolina
North Carolina § 14-34.9. Discharging a Firearm From Within an Enclosure
Unless covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who willfully or wantonly discharges or attempts to discharge a firearm, as a part of a pattern of criminal street gang activity, from within any building, structure, motor vehicle, or other conveyance, erection, or enclosure toward a person or persons not within that enclosure shall be punished as a Class E felon.
North Carolina § 14-50.22. Enhanced Offense for Criminal Gang Activity
A person age 15 or older who is convicted of a misdemeanor offense that is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with, any criminal street gang is guilty of an offense that is one class higher than the offense committed. A Class A1 misdemeanor shall be enhanced to a Class I felony under this section.
(a) Generally, Burden of Proof. -- The court shall consider evidence of aggravating or mitigating factors present in the offense that make an aggravated or mitigated sentence appropriate, but the decision to depart from the presumptive range is in the discretion of the court. The State bears the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that an aggravating factor exists, and the offender bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that a mitigating factor exists.
(a1) Jury to Determine Aggravating Factors; Jury Procedure if Trial Bifurcated. -- The defendant may admit to the existence of an aggravating factor, and the factor so admitted shall be treated as though it were found by a jury pursuant to the procedures in this subsection. Admissions of the existence of an aggravating factor must be consistent with the provisions of G.S. 15A-1022.1. If the defendant does not so admit, only a jury may determine if an aggravating factor is present in an offense. The jury impaneled for the trial of the felony may, in the same trial, also determine if one or more aggravating factors is present, unless the court determines that the interests of justice require that a separate sentencing proceeding be used to make that determination. If the court determines that a separate proceeding is required, the proceeding shall be conducted by the trial judge before the trial jury as soon as practicable after the guilty verdict is returned. If prior to the time that the trial jury begins its deliberations on the issue of whether one or more aggravating factors exist, any juror dies, becomes incapacitated or disqualified, or is discharged for any reason, an alternate juror shall become a part of the jury and serve in all respects as those selected on the regular trial panel. An alternate juror shall become a part of the jury in the order in which the juror was selected. If the trial jury is unable to reconvene for a hearing on the issue of whether one or more aggravating factors exist after having determined the guilt of the accused, the trial judge shall impanel a new jury to determine the issue. A jury selected to determine whether one or more aggravating factors exist shall be selected in the same manner as juries are selected for the trial of criminal cases.
(a2) Procedure if Defendant Admits Aggravating Factor Only. -- If the defendant admits that an aggravating factor exists, but pleads not guilty to the underlying felony, a jury shall be impaneled to dispose of the felony charge. In that case, evidence that relates solely to the establishment of an aggravating factor shall not be admitted in the felony trial.
(a3) Procedure if Defendant Pleads Guilty to the Felony Only. -- If the defendant pleads guilty to the felony, but contests the existence of one or more aggravating factors, a jury shall be impaneled to determine if the aggravating factor or factors exist.
(a4) Pleading of Aggravating Factors. -- Aggravating factors set forth in subsection (d) of this section need not be included in an indictment or other charging instrument. Any aggravating factor alleged under subdivision (d)(20) of this section shall be included in an indictment or other charging instrument, as specified in G.S. 15A-924.
(a5) Procedure to Determine Prior Record Level Points Not Involving Prior Convictions. -- If the State seeks to establish the existence of a prior record level point under G.S. 15A-1340.14(b)(7), the jury shall determine whether the point should be assessed using the procedures specified in subsections (a1) through (a3) of this section. The State need not allege in an indictment or other pleading that it intends to establish the point.
(a6) Notice of Intent to Use Aggravating Factors or Prior Record Level Points. -- The State must provide a defendant with written notice of its intent to prove the existence of one or more aggravating factors under subsection (d) of this section or a prior record level point under G.S. 15A-1340.14(b)(7) at least 30 days before trial or the entry of a guilty or no contest plea. A defendant may waive the right to receive such notice. The notice shall list all the aggravating factors the State seeks to establish.
(a7) Procedure When Jury Trial Waived. -- If a defendant waives the right to a jury trial under G.S. 15A-1201, the trial judge shall make all findings that are conferred upon the jury under the provisions of this section.
(b) When Aggravated or Mitigated Sentence Allowed. -- If the jury, or with respect to an aggravating factor under G.S. 15A-1340.16(d)(12a) or (18a), the court, finds that aggravating factors exist or the court finds that mitigating factors exist, the court may depart from the presumptive range of sentences specified in G.S. 15A-1340.17(c)(2). If aggravating factors are present and the court determines they are sufficient to outweigh any mitigating factors that are present, it may impose a sentence that is permitted by the aggravated range described in G.S. 15A-1340.17(c)(4). If the court finds that mitigating factors are present and are sufficient to outweigh any aggravating factors that are present, it may impose a sentence that is permitted by the mitigated range described in G.S. 15A-1340.17(c)(3).
(c) Written Findings; When Required. -- The court shall make findings of the aggravating and mitigating factors present in the offense only if, in its discretion, it departs from the presumptive range of sentences specified in G.S. 15A-1340.17(c)(2). If the jury finds factors in aggravation, the court shall ensure that those findings are entered in the court's determination of sentencing factors form or any comparable document used to record the findings of sentencing factors. Findings shall be in writing. The requirement to make findings in order to depart from the presumptive range applies regardless of whether the sentence of imprisonment is activated or suspended.
(d) Aggravating Factors. -- The following are aggravating factors:
(20) Any other aggravating factor reasonably related to the purposes of sentencing. Evidence necessary to prove an element of the offense shall not be used to prove any factor in aggravation, and the same item of evidence shall not be used to prove more than one factor in aggravation. Evidence necessary to establish that an enhanced sentence is required under G.S. 15A-1340.16A may not be used to prove any factor in aggravation. The judge shall not consider as an aggravating factor the fact that the defendant exercised the right to a jury trial. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a1) of this section, the determination that an aggravating factor under G.S. 15A-1340.16(d)(18a) is present in a case shall be made by the court, and not by the jury. That determination shall be made in the sentencing hearing.
(e) Mitigating Factors. -- The following are mitigating factors:
(11) Prior to arrest or at an early stage of the criminal process, the defendant voluntarily acknowledged wrongdoing in connection with the
offense to a law enforcement officer.
(f) Notice to State Treasurer of Finding. -- If the court determines that an aggravating factor under subdivision (9) of subsection (d) of this section has been proven, the court shall notify the State Treasurer of the fact of the conviction as well as the finding of the aggravating factor. The indictment charging the defendant with the underlying offense must include notice that the State seeks to prove the defendant acted in accordance with subdivision (9) of subsection (d) of this section and that the State will seek to prove that as an aggravating factor.
North Carolina § 14-50.23. Contraband, Seizure, and Forfeiture
(c) Innocent Activities.—The provisions of this section shall not apply to property used for criminal street gang activity where the owner or person who has legal possession of the property does not have actual knowledge that the property is being used for criminal street gang activity.
(d) As used in this Article, "pattern of criminal street gang activity" means engaging in, and having a conviction for, at least two prior incidents of criminal street gang activity, that have the same or similar purposes, results, accomplices, victims, or methods of commission or otherwise are interrelated by common characteristics and are not isolated and unrelated incidents, provided that at least one of these offenses occurred after December 1, 2008, and the last of the offenses occurred within three years, excluding any periods of imprisonment, of prior criminal street gang activity. Any offenses committed by a defendant prior to indictment for an offense based upon a pattern of street gang activity shall not be used as the basis for any subsequent indictments for offenses involving a pattern of street gang activity.
North Carolina § 20-196.5. Report on gang prevention recommendations
The State Highway Patrol, in conjunction with the State Bureau of Investigation and the Governor's Crime Commission, shall develop recommendations concerning the establishment of priorities and needed improvements with respect to gang prevention and shall report those recommendations to the chairs of the House of Representatives and Senate Appropriations Committees on Justice and Public Safety and to the chairs of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Justice and Public Safety on or before March 1 of each year.
North Carolina § 143B-851. Powers and Duties
(a) Each County Council shall review annually the needs of juveniles in the county who are at risk of delinquency or who have been adjudicated undisciplined or delinquent and the resources available to address those needs. In particular, each county council shall assess the needs of juveniles in the county who are at risk or who have been associated with gangs or gang activity, and the local resources that are established to address those needs. The Council shall develop and advertise a request for proposal process and submit a written plan of action for the expenditure of juvenile sanction and prevention funds to the board of county commissioners for its approval. Upon the county's authorization, the plan shall be submitted to the Division for final approval and subsequent implementation.
(b) Each County Council shall ensure that appropriate intermediate dispositional options are available and shall prioritize funding for dispositions of intermediate and community-level sanctions for court-adjudicated juveniles under minimum standards adopted by the Division.
(d) The Councils may examine the benefits of joint program development between counties within the same judicial district.
North Carolina § 143B-1101. Governor's Crime Commission—Powers and Duties
(a) The Governor's Crime Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
(b) The Governor's Crime Commission shall review the level of gang activity throughout the State and assess the progress and accomplishments of the State, and of local governments, in preventing the proliferation of gangs and addressing the needs of juveniles who have been identified as being associated with gang activity.
North Carolina § 14-50.21. Separate Offense
Any offense committed in violation of G.S. 14-50.16 through G.S. 14-50.20 shall be considered a separate offense.
North Carolina § 14-50.25. Reports of Disposition; Criminal Street Gang Activity
North Carolina § 14-50.26. Matters Proved in Criminal Trial Court
A conviction of an offense defined as criminal gang activity shall preclude the defendant from contesting any factual matters determined in the criminal proceeding in any subsequent civil action or proceeding based on the same conduct.
(b) Any person who regularly associates with others to engage in criminal street gang activity, as defined in G.S. 14-50.16(c), may be made a defendant in a suit, brought pursuant to Chapter 19 of the General Statutes, to abate any public nuisance resulting from criminal street gang activity. (c) If the court finds that a public nuisance exists under this section, the court may enter an order enjoining the defendant in the suit from engaging in criminal street gang activities and impose other reasonable requirements to prevent the defendant or a gang from engaging in future criminal street gang activities.
(d) An order entered under this section shall expire one year after entry unless extended by the court for good cause established by the plaintiff after a hearing. The order may be modified, rescinded, or vacated at any time prior to its expiration date upon the motion of any party if it appears to the court that one or more of the defendants is no longer engaging in criminal street gang activities.
North Carolina § 143B-845. Legislative Intent
It is the intent of the General Assembly to prevent juveniles who are at risk from becoming delinquent. The primary intent of this Part is to develop community-based alternatives to youth development centers and to provide community-based delinquency, substance abuse, and prevention strategies and programs. Additionally, it is the intent of the General Assembly to provide noninstitutional dispositional alternatives that will protect the community and the juveniles.
A law enforcement agency may disseminate an assessment of criminal intelligence information to the principal of a school when necessary to avoid imminent danger to the life of a student or employee of the school or to the public school property pursuant to 28 C.F.R. § 23.20. The notification may be made in person or by telephone. As used in this subsection, the term "school" means any public or private school in the State under Chapter 115C of the General Statutes.
North Carolina § 14-127.1. Graffiti vandalism
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, any person who engages in graffiti vandalism is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. A person convicted of a Class 1 misdemeanor under this subsection shall be fined a minimum of five hundred dollars ($ 500.00) and, if community or intermediate punishment is imposed, shall be required to perform 24 hours of community service.
(3) The violation resulting in the second conviction was committed after the first conviction for violation of this section.
North Carolina § 14-50.28. Applicability to Juveniles Under the Age of 16
Except as provided in G.S. 14-50.22, 14-50.29, and 14-50.30, the provisions of this Article shall not apply to juveniles under the age of 16.
North Carolina § 14-50.29. Conditional Discharge for First Offenders Under the Age of 18
(e) The clerk shall notify State and local agencies of the court's order as provided in G.S. 15A-150.
North Carolina § 14-50.30. Expunction of Records
North Carolina § 15A-145.1. Expunction of Records for First Offenders Under the Age of 18 at the Time of Conviction of Certain Gang Offenses
North Carolina § 14-50.15. Short Title
This Article shall be known and may be cited as the "North Carolina Street Gang Suppression Act."
North Carolina § 14-50.27. Local Ordinances Not Preempted by State Law
North Carolina § 132-1.7. Sensitive public security information