A criminal charge can affect your record, your job, and sometimes your freedom. If you were charged in Forsyth, Davie, Davidson, Yadkin, Iredell, or the High Point area, contact us before your first court date. We will review the charge and the evidence, explain what you are facing, and handle the case in court.
You have the right to stay silent.
What you say to law enforcement can be used against you.
If you were just arrested or charged in North Carolina, a few decisions in the first days shape everything that follows. Here is where to start.
STEP 01
You have the right to remain silent, and you can use it politely. Tell officers you want a lawyer, then stop. What you say is evidence, even when you are trying to explain or cooperate.
STEP 02
The charge determines how serious the case is, and the court date controls your deadlines. Missing the date can add a new charge and an order for your arrest.
STEP 03
Jail calls are recorded. Messages and social media posts can be subpoenaed. Talk about the facts only with your attorney.
STEP 04
The sooner we see the charge and the evidence, the more time there is to review any search or stop issues and your options. We explain what you are facing before you make any decision.
When you call about a criminal charge, you reach an attorney who handles these cases directly. We explain what you are charged with and what each option means, so you can decide your next step with a clear picture. We know the local courts where your case is heard, and we keep you informed as the case moves forward.
A criminal case is decided as much by process as by facts: how the stop or arrest was made, how the evidence was gathered, what the State can actually prove, and what the record shows about you. We review each of those factors, and we explain what they mean for your case.
We start by listening to what happened, then we request and review any available discovery: the police reports, the witness statements, the lab work, and the charging documents. We look at the stop, the search, the way the evidence was handled, the elements the State has to prove, and the facts that affect sentencing.
If something was done wrong, we identify it and make it part of your defense. If the State’s case is strong on some points and weak on others, we tell you which is which. If the case should be negotiated, we explain what a plea would mean for your record and your sentence. If it should be tried, we prepare it for trial. You decide, and we make sure you understand the options before you do.
Criminal matters here are handled by Lynn Gullett and Tessa D. Olinger, with the right attorney assigned based on the charge and the court. Lynn brings more than 37 years in North Carolina courts, including service as an Assistant District Attorney, a District Court judge, and a retired Superior Court judge, admitted to the NC bar in 1988. That experience gives us a practical read on how charges are built, what the state has to prove, and where a case can be challenged.
Tessa Olinger defends criminal and traffic cases as a core part of her practice, with a Juris Doctorate from Elon University School of Law and a focus on explaining each client’s options in plain terms. Between Lynn’s decades on the bench and Tessa’s focused defense work, we review your charge and walk through your options before you decide.
Between Lynn’s decades on the bench and Tessa’s focused defense work, our attorneys have the dual perspectives and experience to be able to review your charge and walk through your options before you decide.
Talk to a criminal defense attorney today!
Request a retainer quote or call to get started.
We defend a range of misdemeanor and felony charges in North Carolina state courts. We do not take federal or capital cases. If you are charged with a driving offense, two of our related pages go deeper: DWI charges are covered on our DWI defense page, while tickets, citations, and moving violations are covered on our traffic violations page.
Assault and affray, larceny and shoplifting, possession of controlled substances, injury to property, trespass, resisting an officer, and probation violations. A misdemeanor is still a criminal charge, and a conviction still creates a record that can show up in background checks.
Drug offenses including possession with intent and trafficking, breaking and entering, felony larceny, assault inflicting serious injury, firearm offenses, and habitual offender enhancements. Felonies carry the longest exposure and the heaviest collateral consequences, and they are scored under North Carolina’s Structured Sentencing system, explained below.
If you have an old charge or conviction, we review whether it can be cleared from your record. See the expungement section below.
If your charge is not listed here, call us and we will tell you whether it is a matter we can review.
Understanding where your charge falls is how you weigh whether to fight it, negotiate it, or take it to trial. North Carolina sentences most crimes under a system called Structured Sentencing, which sets the punishment range from two things: the class of the offense and your prior record.
Misdemeanors are divided into four classes. The actual sentence also depends on your prior conviction level (Level I for no priors, Level II for one to four, Level III for five or more), and judges can impose community punishment, intermediate punishment such as supervised probation, or active jail time depending on the class and level.
The maximum active terms above generally apply at the higher prior conviction levels. For many first offenses, the likely outcome is community or intermediate punishment rather than jail. We explain what your class and record realistically mean for your exposure.
Misdemeanor Class
Maximum Active Sentence
Example Charges
Class A1
Up to 150 days
Assault inflicting serious injury, assault on a female, assault with a deadly weapon
Class 1
Up to 120 days
Misdemeanor larceny (up to $1,000), possession of stolen goods, misdemeanor breaking or entering
Class 2
Up to 60 days
Simple assault, resisting a public officer, disorderly conduct
Class 3
Up to 20 days
Possession of up to 0.5 oz of marijuana, second-degree trespass, concealment of merchandise (first offense)
Where a specific charge falls, and which prior record level applies to you, is something we confirm for your case. The difference between one class or level and the next can be the difference between probation and prison.
Felony Class
Relative Severity
Examples
Class A
Life imprisonment or death penalty.
First-degree murder (capital cases are not handled by our firm)
Class B1 to B2
Very serious felonies
Second-degree murder
Class C to E
Serious felonies
Robbery with a dangerous weapon, serious assaults, higher-level drug trafficking
Class F to G
Mid-level felonies
Common-law robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Class H to I
Lower-level felonies
Felony larceny (over $1,000), breaking and entering, possession of many controlled substances
Habitual Offender Status
North Carolina law can raise the stakes for people with prior convictions. Habitual felon status and similar enhancements can elevate the punishment class well above the underlying charge. If your record could expose you to an enhancement, we tell you early, because it changes the whole strategy.
A charge does not have to follow you forever. In many situations, North Carolina law lets you clear records from your history, and we review whether you qualify.
Charges that were dismissed or that ended in a not-guilty verdict can often be expunged, and many are now cleared automatically. Certain older nonviolent convictions can also be expunged after a waiting period, with limits on the number and type of offenses. The rules are specific and they have changed several times in recent years, so eligibility is worth checking rather than assuming.
DWI convictions are one clear exception. They are permanently excluded from North Carolina’s expungement laws and cannot be cleared.
If you are not sure what is on your record or whether it can be cleared, we review your history and tell you what is possible.
A criminal case is shaped by the courthouse it lands in and the district attorney’s office that handles it, so local familiarity matters. We represent clients in criminal courts across the region.
Forsyth County
Forsyth County Hall of Justice, Winston-Salem
Davie County
Davie County Courthouse, Mocksville
Davidson County
Davidson County Courthouse, Lexington
Yadkin County
Yadkin County Courthouse, Yadkinville
Iredell County
Iredell County Hall of Justice, Statesville
Guilford County
High Point Division, with a firm office in High Point
We also represent clients in surrounding counties. Local court and district attorney practices vary, which is why the right approach depends on where your case is being heard.
Can a criminal charge be dismissed or reduced?
Sometimes. It depends on the evidence, how it was gathered, and what the State can prove. We request the discovery, review the stop, the search, and the charging documents, and tell you which outcomes are realistic in your case.
If your charge is for impaired driving, the criminal case runs alongside separate license deadlines with the DMV. Our DWI defense page explains the criminal case, the DMV deadlines, and the license consequences.
For speeding tickets, reckless driving, license points, and insurance concerns. We review the citation and explain the license and insurance consequences.
You have the right to remain silent, and using it does not make you look guilty. Tell officers you want a lawyer and then stop talking about the case. Statements meant to explain or cooperate are still evidence, and they can be used in ways you did not intend.
Misdemeanors are the less serious category, divided into four classes with maximum jail terms up to 150 days. Felonies are more serious, divided into ten classes, and are scored under Structured Sentencing using your prior record. Both create a criminal record.
It depends on the class of the charge and your prior record level. For many first offenses, the likely outcome is community or intermediate punishment, such as probation, rather than active time. We review your charge and record and explain your realistic exposure.
Sometimes. It depends on the evidence, how it was gathered, and what the State can prove. We request the discovery, review the stop, the search, and the charging documents, and tell you which outcomes are realistic in your case.
In many cases. Dismissed charges and not-guilty verdicts can often be expunged, and certain older nonviolent convictions can be cleared after a waiting period. Eligibility is specific, and DWI convictions are not eligible. We review your record and tell you what is possible.
Missing a court date can result in a separate charge for failure to appear and an order for your arrest. It can also affect your license and your bond. If you have missed a date, call us so we can address it.
No. We handle criminal cases in North Carolina state courts. We do not take federal cases or capital cases.
Habitual felon status is an enhancement that can apply when a person with qualifying prior felony convictions is charged with a new felony. It raises the punishment class above the underlying charge and significantly increases the exposure. If it could apply to you, we identify it early.
If you were charged in Winston-Salem, Clemmons, Mocksville, High Point, or the surrounding area, call us. The earlier we see the charge and the evidence, the more time there is to review your options.
When you call about a new charge, we typically schedule a consult by the next business day, often within 24 hours depending on the day, weekend, or holiday.
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