North Carolina takes domestic violence convictions very seriously. It can have rippling effects across many aspects of your life that you may not think about.
Gun Rights:
A domestic violence conviction will likely impose on your rights to own a firearm. Under federal law, a felony or misdemeanor conviction of domestic violence could come with a firearm ban. Under North Carolina law, you may have to surrender any firearms you own to police and may be prohibited from purchasing new firearms for some time after the conviction.
Criminal Record and Sentencing:
After being convicted, the judge will indicate on a form that the conviction involved domestic violence. The clerk will then ensure that your official record includes this determination, therefore any inquiry into your criminal record will show that the offense involved domestic violence.
A conviction may come with various consequences including jail time and/or probation which can include a number of conditions. If the court finds that you are guilty of an act of domestic violence, one of your probation conditions may be to attend and complete an abuser treatment program.
Victim Rights:
The North Carolina Crime Victim’s Rights Act gives victims special rights when they have been victim of certain domestic violence crimes. One of these rights include the right to notice during the proceedings.
Victims can also ask the court for a domestic violence protective order. This order could potentially grant the other party possession of a shared household or require you to provide another form of housing. It may also award temporary custody of minor children to the victim.
Getting or Keeping a Job:
A domestic violence conviction could affect your current job, as well as future job searches. Many jobs require people to list their past convictions or jobs do a criminal record search themselves. Having any criminal conviction may put you at risk of not getting hired, but a violent conviction can further hurt your chances.
A domestic violence conviction can also be a barrier to obtaining some professional and trade licenses or you could lose a current license.
Domestic violence convictions can have serious consequences both inside and outside of the courtroom. If you have been accused of domestic violence, call one of our attorneys at Jetton & Meredith. We will be able to help you navigate these serious charges.