Criminal Defense Attorneys in Greensboro, NC

What a Criminal Charge Means in North Carolina

North Carolina separates criminal offenses into two categories: misdemeanors and felonies. Misdemeanors range from Class A3 (least serious) to Class A1 (most serious), with potential sentences up to 150 days in jail. Felonies are classified from Class I (least serious) through Class A (most serious, including first-degree murder), and are sentenced under a structured grid that accounts for both offense class and prior record level. Either category creates a permanent criminal record unless later expunged. That record follows you into job applications, housing applications, professional licensing, firearm rights, and immigration proceedings. Even a first-time misdemeanor is not something to dismiss without understanding the long-term consequences.

Criminal Matters We Handle

NXTGen Law Group defends clients across the full range of criminal proceedings in North Carolina:

• First Appearances: The earliest court event after arrest, where bond is set or reviewed and charges are formally presented.
• DWI and DUI Defense: Impaired driving charges under NC General Statute section 20-138.1 carry mandatory minimum sentences and license revocation.
• Felony Offenses: Class A through Class I felonies handled across Guilford County and surrounding courts.
• Drug Charges: Possession, possession with intent to sell, distribution, and trafficking charges across all controlled substance schedules.
• Speeding Tickets and Traffic Violations: Convictions trigger DMV points, insurance increases, and for certain speeds, a Class 3 misdemeanor conviction.
• Bond Motions: If bond has been set too high, a motion to modify can change a client's situation within days.
• Probation Violations: Alleged violations trigger hearings with a lower standard of proof than a criminal trial.
• Expungements: Certain criminal records, dismissals, and not-guilty verdicts are eligible for sealing under NC law.

How NC's Structured Sentencing Works

North Carolina uses structured sentencing for felony and Class A1/Class 1 misdemeanor convictions. Punishment is determined by a grid: the class of the offense runs across one axis; the defendant's prior record level runs down the other. Understanding the grid before a plea discussion is critical. An attorney who knows your prior record level and the offense class can tell you, before you enter any plea, exactly what range of sentences is on the table.

Why Representation from Day One Matters

Evidence does not wait. Body camera footage has limited retention windows. Witnesses' recollections degrade within days. An attorney retained on day one can issue preservation demands and begin reviewing the state's evidence before it is lost. The 10-day rule in DWI cases is a concrete example. A driver whose license has been revoked after a DWI arrest has exactly 10 days to request a hearing to challenge the revocation.

Federal Criminal Defense

Jason L. Keith of NXTGen Law Group is licensed in both the NC Eastern and Middle Federal District Courts. Federal criminal proceedings operate under different rules, different sentencing guidelines, and different standards than state court.