Source: http://thebestdwidefense.com/the-best-dwi-dui-defense-north-carolina-law
Timestamp: 2017-04-26 08:01:18
Document Index: 25762692

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20', '§ 20']

North Carolina Law	§ 20‑138.1. Impaired driving.
(d) Sentencing Hearing and Punishment. – Impaired driving as defined in this section is a misdemeanor. Upon conviction of a defendant of impaired driving, the presiding judge shall hold a sentencing hearing and impose punishment in accordance with G.S. 20‑179.
(e) Exception. – Notwithstanding the definition of "vehicle" pursuant to G.S. 20‑4.01(49), for purposes of this section the word "vehicle" does not include a horse. (1983, c. 435, s. 24; 1989, c. 711, s. 2; 1993, c. 285, s. 1; 2006‑253, s. 9.)
§ 20‑138.2. Impaired driving in commercial vehicle.
(a1) A person who has submitted to a chemical analysis of a blood sample, pursuant to G.S. 20‑139.1(d), may use the result in rebuttal as evidence that the person did not have, at a relevant time after driving, an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or more.
(a2) In order to prove the gross vehicle weight rating of a vehicle as defined in G.S. 20‑4.01(12e), the opinion of a person who observed the vehicle as to the weight, the testimony of the gross vehicle weight rating affixed to the vehicle, the registered or declared weight shown on the Division's records pursuant to G.S. 20‑26(b1), the gross vehicle weight rating as determined from the vehicle identification number, the listed gross weight publications from the manufacturer of the vehicle, or any other description or evidence shall be admissible.
(c) Pleading. – To charge a violation of this section, the pleading is sufficient if it states the time and place of the alleged offense in the usual form and charges the defendant drove a commercial motor vehicle on a highway, street, or public vehicular area while subject to an impairing substance.
(d) Implied Consent Offense. – An offense under this section is an implied consent offense subject to the provisions of G.S. 20‑16.2.
(e) Punishment. – The offense in this section is a misdemeanor and any defendant convicted under this section shall be sentenced under G.S. 20‑179. This offense is not a lesser included offense of impaired driving under G.S. 20‑138.1, and if a person is convicted under this section and of an offense involving impaired driving under G.S. 20‑138.1 arising out of the same transaction, the aggregate punishment imposed by the Court may not exceed the maximum punishment applicable to the offense involving impaired driving under G.S. 20‑138.1.
(f) Repealed by Session Laws 1991, c. 726, s. 19.
(g) Chemical Analysis Provisions. – The provisions of G.S. 20‑139.1 shall apply to the offense of impaired driving in a commercial motor vehicle. (1989, c. 771, s. 12; 1991, c. 726, s. 19; 1993, c. 539, s. 363; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 1998‑182, s. 24; 2006‑253, s. 10;2010-129, s.1.)
§ 20‑138.2A. Operating a commercial vehicle after consuming alcohol.
(a) Offense. – A person commits the offense of operating a commercial motor vehicle after consuming alcohol if the person drives a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in G.S. 20‑4.01(3d)a. and b., upon any highway, any street, or any public vehicular area within the State while consuming alcohol or while alcohol remains in the person's body.
(b) Implied‑Consent Offense. – An offense under this section is an implied‑consent offense subject to the provisions of G.S. 20‑16.2. The provisions of G.S. 20‑139.1 shall apply to an offense committed under this section.
(b1) Odor Insufficient. – The odor of an alcoholic beverage on the breath of the driver is insufficient evidence by itself to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that alcohol was remaining in the driver's body in violation of this section unless the driver was offered an alcohol screening test or chemical analysis and refused to provide all required samples of breath or blood for analysis.
(b2) Alcohol Screening Test. – Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alcohol screening test may be administered to a driver suspected of violation of subsection (a) of this section, and the results of an alcohol screening test or the driver's refusal to submit may be used by a law enforcement officer, a court, or an administrative agency in determining if alcohol was present in the driver's body. No alcohol screening tests are valid under this section unless the device used is one approved by the Department of Health and Human Services, and the screening test is conducted in accordance with the applicable regulations of the Department as to its manner and use.
(c) Punishment. – Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a violation of the offense described in subsection (a) of this section is a Class 3 misdemeanor and, notwithstanding G.S. 15A‑1340.23, is punishable by a penalty of one hundred dollars ($100.00). A second or subsequent violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable under G.S. 20‑179. This offense is a lesser included offense of impaired driving of a commercial vehicle under G.S. 20‑138.2.
(d) Second or Subsequent Conviction Defined. – A conviction for violating this offense is a second or subsequent conviction if at the time of the current offense the person has a previous conviction under this section, and the previous conviction occurred in the seven years immediately preceding the date of the current offense. This definition of second or subsequent conviction also applies to G.S. 20‑17(a)(13) and G.S. 20‑17.4(a)(6). (1998‑182, s. 23; 1999‑406, s. 15; 2000‑140, s. 5; 2000‑155, s. 16; 2007‑182, s. 2; 2008‑187, s. 36(a).)
§ 20‑138.2B. Operating a school bus, school activity bus, or child care vehicle after consuming alcohol.
(a) Offense. – A person commits the offense of operating a school bus, school activity bus, or child care vehicle after consuming alcohol if the person drives a school bus, school activity bus, or child care vehicle upon any highway, any street, or any public vehicular area within the State while consuming alcohol or while alcohol remains in the person's body.
(c) Punishment. – Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a violation of the offense described in subsection (a) of this section is a Class 3 misdemeanor and, notwithstanding G.S. 15A‑1340.23, is punishable by a penalty of one hundred dollars ($100.00). A second or subsequent violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable under G.S. 20‑179. This offense is a lesser included offense of impaired driving of a commercial vehicle under G.S. 20‑138.1.
(d) Second or Subsequent Conviction Defined. – A conviction for violating this offense is a second or subsequent conviction if at the time of the current offense the person has a previous conviction under this section, and the previous conviction occurred in the seven years immediately preceding the date of the current offense. This definition of second or subsequent conviction also applies to G.S. 20‑19(c2). (1998‑182, s. 27; 1999‑406, s. 16; 2000‑140, s. 6; 2000‑155, s. 17; 2007‑182, s. 2; 2008‑187, s. 36(b).)
§ 20‑138.2C. Possession of alcoholic beverages while operating a commercial motor vehicle.
A person commits the offense of operating a commercial motor vehicle while possessing alcoholic beverages if the person drives a commercial motor vehicle, as defined in G.S. 20‑4.01(3d), upon any highway, any street, or any public vehicular area within the State while having an open or closed alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of the commercial motor vehicle. This section shall not apply to the driver of a commercial motor vehicle that is also an excursion passenger vehicle, a for‑hire passenger vehicle, a common carrier of passengers, or a motor home, if the alcoholic beverage is in possession of a passenger or is in the passenger area of the vehicle. (1999‑330, s. 2.)
§ 20‑138.3. Driving by person less than 21 years old after consuming alcohol or drugs.
(a) Offense. – It is unlawful for a person less than 21 years old to drive a motor vehicle on a highway or public vehicular area while consuming alcohol or at any time while he has remaining in his body any alcohol or controlled substance previously consumed, but a person less than 21 years old does not violate this section if he drives with a controlled substance in his body which was lawfully obtained and taken in therapeutically appropriate amounts.
(b) Subject to Implied‑Consent Law. – An offense under this section is an alcohol‑related offense subject to the implied‑consent provisions of G.S. 20‑16.2.
(c) Punishment; Effect When Impaired Driving Offense Also Charged. – The offense in this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. It is not, in any circumstances, a lesser included offense of impaired driving under G.S. 20‑138.1, but if a person is convicted under this section and of an offense involving impaired driving arising out of the same transaction, the aggregate punishment imposed by the court may not exceed the maximum applicable to the offense involving impaired driving, and any minimum punishment applicable shall be imposed.
(d) Limited Driving Privilege. – A person who is convicted of violating subsection (a) of this section and whose drivers license is revoked solely based on that conviction may apply for a limited driving privilege as provided in G.S. 20‑179.3. This subsection shall apply only if the person meets both of the following requirements:
The judge may issue the limited driving privilege only if the person meets the eligibility requirements of G.S. 20‑179.3, other than the requirement in G.S. 20‑179.3(b)(1)c. G.S. 20‑179.3(e) shall not apply. All other terms, conditions, and restrictions provided for in G.S. 20‑179.3 shall apply. G.S. 20‑179.3, rather than this subsection, governs the issuance of a limited driving privilege to a person who is convicted of violating subsection (a) of this section and of driving while impaired as a result of the same transaction. (1983, c. 435, s. 34; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 852, s. 11; 1993, c. 539, s. 364; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 1995, c. 506, s. 6; 1997‑379, ss. 4, 5.2; 2000‑140, s. 7; 2000‑155, s. 18; 2006‑253, s. 11.)
§ 20‑138.4. Requirement that prosecutor explain reduction or dismissal of charge in implied‑consent case.
(a) Any prosecutor shall enter detailed facts in the record of any case subject to the implied‑consent law or involving driving while license revoked for impaired driving as defined in G.S. 20‑28.2 explaining orally in open court and in writing the reasons for his action if he:
(3) Substitutes another charge, by statement of charges or otherwise, if the substitute charge carries a lesser mandatory minimum punishment or is not a case subject to the implied‑consent law; or
(4) Otherwise takes a discretionary action that effectively dismisses or reduces the original charge in a case subject to the implied‑consent law.
(2) A list of all prior convictions of implied‑consent offenses or driving while license revoked.
(c) (See Editor's note on effective date) A copy of the form required in subsection (b) of this section shall be sent to the head of the law enforcement agency that employed the charging officer, to the district attorney who employs the prosecutor, and filed in the court file. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall electronically record this data in its database and make it available upon request. (1983, c. 435, s. 25; 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 1112; 1989, c. 771, s. 18; 2006‑253, s. 19; 2007‑493, s. 16.)
§ 20‑138.5. Habitual impaired driving.
§ 20‑138.7. Transporting an open container of alcoholic beverage.
(a) Offense. – No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a highway or the right‑of‑way of a highway:
(a1) Offense. – No person shall possess an alcoholic beverage other than in the unopened manufacturer's original container, or consume an alcoholic beverage, in the passenger area of a motor vehicle while the motor vehicle is on a highway or the right‑of‑way of a highway. For purposes of this subsection, only the person who possesses or consumes an alcoholic beverage in violation of this subsection shall be charged with this offense.
(a2) Exception. – It shall not be a violation of subsection (a1) of this section for a passenger to possess an alcoholic beverage other than in the unopened manufacturer's original container, or for a passenger to consume an alcoholic beverage, if the container is:
(2) In the living quarters of a motor home or house car as defined in G.S. 20‑4.01(27)d2.; or
(3) In a house trailer as defined in G.S. 20‑4.01(14).
(a3) Meaning of Terms. – Under this section, the term "motor vehicle" means only those types of motor vehicles which North Carolina law requires to be registered, whether the motor vehicle is registered in North Carolina or another jurisdiction.
(c) Odor Insufficient. – The odor of an alcoholic beverage on the breath of the driver is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that alcohol was remaining in the driver's body in violation of this section, unless the driver was offered an alcohol screening test or chemical analysis and refused to provide all required samples of breath or blood for analysis.
(d) Alcohol Screening Test. – Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alcohol screening test may be administered to a driver suspected of violating subsection (a) of this section, and the results of an alcohol screening test or the driver's refusal to submit may be used by a law enforcement officer, a court, or an administrative agency in determining if alcohol was present in the driver's body. No alcohol screening tests are valid under this section unless the device used is one approved by the Commission for Public Health, and the screening test is conducted in accordance with the applicable regulations of the Commission as to the manner of its use.
(e) Punishment; Effect When Impaired Driving Offense Also Charged. – Violation of subsection (a) of this section shall be a Class 3 misdemeanor for the first offense and shall be a Class 2 misdemeanor for a second or subsequent offense. Violation of subsection (a) of this section is not a lesser included offense of impaired driving under G.S. 20‑138.1, but if a person is convicted under subsection (a) of this section and of an offense involving impaired driving arising out of the same transaction, the punishment imposed by the court shall not exceed the maximum applicable to the offense involving impaired driving, and any minimum applicable punishment shall be imposed. Violation of subsection (a1) of this section by the driver of the motor vehicle is a lesser‑included offense of subsection (a) of this section. A violation of subsection (a) shall be considered a moving violation for purposes of G.S. 20‑16(c).
Violation of subsection (a1) of this section shall be an infraction and shall not be considered a moving violation for purposes of G.S. 20‑16(c).
(f) Definitions. – If the seal on a container of alcoholic beverages has been broken, it is opened within the meaning of this section. For purposes of this section, "passenger area of a motor vehicle" means the area designed to seat the driver and passengers and any area within the reach of a seated driver or passenger, including the glove compartment. The area of the trunk or the area behind the last upright back seat of a station wagon, hatchback, or similar vehicle shall not be considered part of the passenger area. The term "alcoholic beverage" is as defined in G.S. 18B‑101(4).
(g) Pleading. – In any prosecution for a violation of subsection (a) of this section, the pleading is sufficient if it states the time and place of the alleged offense in the usual form and charges that the defendant drove a motor vehicle on a highway or the right‑of‑way of a highway with an open container of alcoholic beverage after drinking.
In any prosecution for a violation of subsection (a1) of this section, the pleading is sufficient if it states the time and place of the alleged offense in the usual form and charges that (i) the defendant possessed an open container of alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a motor vehicle while the motor vehicle was on a highway or the right‑of‑way of a highway, or (ii) the defendant consumed an alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a motor vehicle while the motor vehicle was on a highway or the right‑of‑way of a highway.
(h) Limited Driving Privilege. – A person who is convicted of violating subsection (a) of this section and whose drivers license is revoked solely based on that conviction may apply for a limited driving privilege as provided for in G.S. 20‑179.3. The judge may issue the limited driving privilege only if the driver meets the eligibility requirements of G.S. 20‑179.3, other than the requirement in G.S. 20‑179.3(b)(1)c. G.S. 20‑179.3(e) shall not apply. All other terms, conditions, and restrictions provided for in G.S. 20‑179.3 shall apply. G.S. 20‑179.3, rather than this subsection, governs the issuance of a limited driving privilege to a person who is convicted of violating subsection (a) of this section and of driving while impaired as a result of the same transaction. (1995, c. 506, s. 9; 2000‑155, s. 4; 2002‑25, s. 1; 2006‑66, s. 21.7; 2007‑182, s. 2.)
§ 20‑139.1. Procedures governing chemical analyses; admissibility; evidentiary provisions; controlled‑drinking programs.
(a) Chemical Analysis Admissible. – In any implied‑consent offense under G.S. 20‑16.2, a person's alcohol concentration or the presence of any other impairing substance in the person's body as shown by a chemical analysis is admissible in evidence. This section does not limit the introduction of other competent evidence as to a person's alcohol concentration or results of other tests showing the presence of an impairing substance, including other chemical tests.
(b) Approval of Valid Test Methods; Licensing Chemical Analysts. – The results of a chemical analysis shall be deemed sufficient evidence to prove a person's alcohol concentration. A chemical analysis of the breath administered pursuant to the implied‑consent law is admissible in any court or administrative hearing or proceeding if it meets both of the following requirements:
(b1) When Officer May Perform Chemical Analysis. – Any person possessing a current permit authorizing the person to perform chemical analysis may perform a chemical analysis.
(b2) Breath Analysis Results Preventive Maintenance. – The Department of Health and Human Services shall perform preventive maintenance on breath‑testing instruments used for chemical analysis. A court or administrative agency shall take judicial notice of the preventive maintenance records of the Department. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), the results of a chemical analysis of a person's breath performed in accordance with this section are not admissible in evidence if:
(b3) Sequential Breath Tests Required. – The methods governing the administration of chemical analyses of the breath shall require the testing of at least duplicate sequential breath samples. The results of the chemical analysis of all breath samples are admissible if the test results from any two consecutively collected breath samples do not differ from each other by an alcohol concentration greater than 0.02. Only the lower of the two test results of the consecutively administered tests can be used to prove a particular alcohol concentration. A person's refusal to give the sequential breath samples necessary to constitute a valid chemical analysis is a refusal under G.S. 20‑16.2(c).
(b4) Repealed by Session Laws 2006‑253, s. 16, effective December 1, 2006, and applicable to offenses committed on or after that date
(b5) Subsequent Tests Allowed. – A person may be requested, pursuant to G.S. 20‑16.2, to submit to a chemical analysis of the person's blood or other bodily fluid or substance in addition to or in lieu of a chemical analysis of the breath, in the discretion of a law enforcement officer. If a subsequent chemical analysis is requested pursuant to this subsection, the person shall again be advised of the implied consent rights in accordance with G.S. 20‑16.2(a). A person's willful refusal to submit to a chemical analysis of the blood or other bodily fluid or substance is a willful refusal under G.S. 20‑16.2.
(b6) The Department of Health and Human Services shall post on a Web page a list of all persons who have a permit authorizing them to perform chemical analyses, the types of analyses that they can perform, the instruments that each person is authorized to operate, the effective dates of the permits, and the records of preventive maintenance. A court or administrative agency shall take judicial notice of whether, at the time of the chemical analysis, the chemical analyst possessed a permit authorizing the chemical analyst to perform the chemical analysis administered and whether preventive maintenance had been performed on the breath‑testing instrument in accordance with the Department's rules.
(c) Blood and Urine for Chemical Analysis. – Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when a blood or urine test is specified as the type of chemical analysis by a law enforcement officer, a physician, registered nurse, emergency medical technician, or other qualified person shall withdraw the blood sample and obtain the urine sample, and no further authorization or approval is required. If the person withdrawing the blood or collecting the urine requests written confirmation of the law enforcement officer's request for the withdrawal of blood or collecting the urine, the officer shall furnish it before blood is withdrawn or urine collected. When blood is withdrawn or urine collected pursuant to a law enforcement officer's request, neither the person withdrawing the blood nor any hospital, laboratory, or other institution, person, firm, or corporation employing that person, or contracting for the service of withdrawing blood or collecting urine, may be held criminally or civilly liable by reason of withdrawing the blood or collecting the urine, except that there is no immunity from liability for negligent acts or omissions. A person requested to withdraw blood or collect urine pursuant to this subsection may refuse to do so only if it reasonably appears that the procedure cannot be performed without endangering the safety of the person collecting the sample or the safety of the person from whom the sample is being collected. If the officer requesting the blood or urine requests a written justification for the refusal, the medical provider who determined the sample could not be collected safely shall provide written justification at the time of the refusal.
(c1) Admissibility. – The results of a chemical analysis of blood or urine reported by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Laboratory, the Charlotte, North Carolina, Police Department Laboratory, or any other laboratory approved for chemical analysis by the Department of Health and Human Services, are admissible as evidence in all administrative hearings, and in any court, without further authentication and without the testimony of the analyst. The results shall be certified by the person who performed the analysis. The provisions of this subsection may be utilized in any administrative hearing, but can only be utilized in cases tried in the district and superior court divisions, or in an adjudicatory hearing in juvenile court, if:
(c3) Procedure for Establishing Chain of Custody Without Calling Unnecessary Witnesses. –
If the defendant's attorney of record, or the defendant if that person has no attorney, fails to file a written objection as provided in this subsection, then the statement may be admitted into evidence without the necessity of a personal appearance by the person signing the statement. Upon filing a timely objection, the admissibility of the report shall be determined and governed by the appropriate rules of evidence.
(d) Right to Additional Test. – Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a person from obtaining or attempting to obtain an additional chemical analysis. If the person is not released from custody after the initial appearance, the agency having custody of the person shall make reasonable efforts in a timely manner to assist the person in obtaining access to a telephone to arrange for any additional test and allow access to the person in accordance with the agreed procedure in G.S. 20‑38.5. The failure or inability of the person who submitted to a chemical analysis to obtain any additional test or to withdraw blood does not preclude the admission of evidence relating to the chemical analysis.
(d1) Right to Require Additional Tests. – If a person refuses to submit to any test or tests pursuant to this section, any law enforcement officer with probable cause may, without a court order, compel the person to provide blood or urine samples for analysis if the officer reasonably believes that the delay necessary to obtain a court order, under the circumstances, would result in the dissipation of the percentage of alcohol in the person's blood or urine.
(e) Recording Results of Chemical Analysis of Breath. – A person charged with an implied‑consent offense who has not received, prior to a trial, a copy of the chemical analysis results the State intends to offer into evidence may request in writing a copy of the results. The failure to provide a copy prior to any trial shall be grounds for a continuance of the case but shall not be grounds to suppress the results of the chemical analysis or to dismiss the criminal charges.
(e1) Use of Chemical Analyst's Affidavit in District Court. – An affidavit by a chemical analyst sworn to and properly executed before an official authorized to administer oaths is admissible in evidence without further authentication and without the testimony of the analyst in any hearing or trial in the District Court Division of the General Court of Justice with respect to the following matters:
(5) If the chemical analysis is performed on a breath‑testing instrument for which regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (b) require preventive maintenance, the date the most recent preventive maintenance procedures were performed on the breath‑testing instrument used, as shown on the maintenance records for that instrument.
The failure to file a timely objection as provided in this subsection shall be deemed a waiver of the right to object to the admissibility of the affidavit. Upon filing a timely objection, the admissibility of the report shall be determined and governed by the appropriate rules of evidence. The case shall be continued until the analyst can be present. The criminal case shall not be dismissed due to the failure of the analyst to appear, unless the analyst willfully fails to appear after being ordered to appear by the court. Nothing in subsection (e1) or subsection (e2) of this section precludes the right of any party to call any witness or to introduce any evidence supporting or contradicting the evidence contained in the affidavit.
(f) Evidence of Refusal Admissible. – If any person charged with an implied‑consent offense refuses to submit to a chemical analysis or to perform field sobriety tests at the request of an officer, evidence of that refusal is admissible in any criminal, civil, or administrative action against the person.
(g) Controlled‑Drinking Programs. – The Department of Health and Human Services may adopt rules concerning the ingestion of controlled amounts of alcohol by individuals submitting to chemical testing as a part of scientific, experimental, educational, or demonstration programs. These regulations shall prescribe procedures consistent with controlling federal law governing the acquisition, transportation, possession, storage, administration, and disposition of alcohol intended for use in the programs. Any person in charge of a controlled‑drinking program who acquires alcohol under these regulations must keep records accounting for the disposition of all alcohol acquired, and the records must at all reasonable times be available for inspection upon the request of any federal, State, or local law‑enforcement officer with jurisdiction over the laws relating to control of alcohol. A controlled‑drinking program exclusively using lawfully purchased alcoholic beverages in places in which they may be lawfully possessed, however, need not comply with the record‑keeping requirements of the regulations authorized by this subsection. All acts pursuant to the regulations reasonably done in furtherance of bona fide objectives of a controlled‑drinking program authorized by the regulations are lawful notwithstanding the provisions of any other general or local statute, regulation, or ordinance controlling alcohol. (1963, c. 966, s. 2; 1967, c. 123; 1969, c. 1074, s. 2; 1971, c. 619, ss. 12, 13; 1973, c. 476, s. 128; c. 1081, s. 2; c. 1331, s. 3; 1975, c. 405; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1089; 1981, c. 412, s. 4; c. 747, s. 66; 1983, c. 435, s. 26; 1983 (Reg. Sess., 1984), c. 1101, s. 20; 1989, c. 727, s. 219(2); 1991, c. 689, s. 233.1(b); 1993, c. 285, s. 7; 1997‑379, ss. 5.3‑5.5; 1997‑443, s. 11A.10; 1997‑443, s. 11A.123; 1997‑456, s. 34(b); 2000‑155, s. 8; 2003‑95, s. 1; 2003‑104, s. 2; 2006‑253, s. 16; 2007‑115, ss. 5, 6; 2007‑493, ss. 3, 18, 22, 23; 2009‑473, ss. 3‑6.)