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North Carolina drug trafficking – substantial assistance
Written on February 5, 2010 by Damon Chetson in Raleigh Drug Lawer
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North Carolina’s drug laws are very harsh. In fact, North Carolina’s drug trafficking laws – dealing with the large scale sale and distribution of banned drugs or controlled substances – have mandatory minimum sentences.

That means that if you’re caught with enough drugs in your possession, you will likely be charged with trafficking or conspiracy to traffic in drugs. Depending on the quantities and the kind of drugs – LSD, heroin, cocaine, meth, and so forth – you could be serving anywhere from 5 to 7 years all the way up to 20 years in prison.

Those sentences are mandatory, meaning that the judge may not depart from the sentencing guidelines. That means that you will absolutely be serving the minimum sentence, regardless of how many family members show up to say you’re a great person.

However, there is one important exception to the mandatory minimum rule. That exception is that if the judge finds you have provided “substantial assistance” to police following your arrest, the judge may depart from the sentencing guidelines, and give you a much reduced punishment.

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