Habitual Felon
In North Carolina, being accused of Habitual Felon is a status offense. What that means is that one will typically be charged with being a Habitual Felon if they have previously been convicted of three or more separate felony cases on separate occasions.
For those individuals that qualify as being “Habitual Eligible”, the State will add the charge of Habitual Felon if they are accused of new felonies.
Habitual Felon is punished VERY harshly. It usually is classified as a Class C Felony. However, some recent changes in the law can reduce that in some situations.
Handling Habitual Felon cases requires a good defense attorney to be very skilled in the art of negotiation as well as zealously advocating and establishing the positives of their client.
In Mecklenburg County, these cases are prosecuted by the Habitual Felon Team (HFT). This is a select group of experienced and well-trained prosecutors. They have strict protocols that they follow. Understanding how the HFT handles their cases is essential for a lawyer handling one of these cases.
I have handled dozens of Habitual Felon cases. I am more than willing to fight for a client charged as a Habitual and I work to get them the best options available.