GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2009

S                                                                                                                                                    D

SENATE DRS75015-LH-37  (01/15)

Short Title:        Establish Proportionate Sentence Lengths.		(Public)
Sponsors:	Senator Kinnaird.
Referred to:

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to make the increase in sentence lengths between prior record levels more proportionate using a set percentage increment.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 15A‑1340.17(c) reads as rewritten:

"(c)       Punishments for Each Class of Offense and Prior Record Level; Punishment Chart Described. – The authorized punishment for each class of offense and prior record level is as specified in the chart below. Prior record levels are indicated by the Roman numerals placed horizontally on the top of the chart. Classes of offense are indicated by the letters placed vertically on the left side of the chart. Each cell on the chart contains the following components:

(1)        A sentence disposition or dispositions: "C" indicates that a community punishment is authorized; "I" indicates that an intermediate punishment is authorized; "A" indicates that an active punishment is authorized; and "Life Imprisonment Without Parole" indicates that the defendant shall be imprisoned for the remainder of the prisoner's natural life.

(2)        A presumptive range of minimum durations, if the sentence of imprisonment is neither aggravated or mitigated; any minimum term of imprisonment in that range is permitted unless the court finds pursuant to G.S. 15A‑1340.16 that an aggravated or mitigated sentence is appropriate. The presumptive range is the middle of the three ranges in the cell.

(3)        A mitigated range of minimum durations if the court finds pursuant to G.S. 15A‑1340.16 that a mitigated sentence of imprisonment is justified; in such a case, any minimum term of imprisonment in the mitigated range is permitted. The mitigated range is the lower of the three ranges in the cell.

(4)        An aggravated range of minimum durations if the court finds pursuant to G.S. 15A‑1340.16 that an aggravated sentence of imprisonment is justified; in such a case, any minimum term of imprisonment in the aggravated range is permitted. The aggravated range is the higher of the three ranges in the cell.

PRIOR RECORD LEVEL

              I                 II                 III               IV                  V                  VI

           0 Pts         1‑4 Pts         5‑8 Pts       9‑14 Pts      15‑18 Pts       19+ Pts

A         Life Imprisonment Without Parole or Death as Established by Statute

             A                A                 A                 A                  A                  A                DISPOSITION

240‑300 288‑360 336‑420 384‑480 Life Imprisonment Aggravated

Without Parole

B1 192‑240 230‑288 269‑336 307‑384 346‑433 384‑480 PRESUMPTIVE

144‑192 173‑230 202‑269 230‑307 260‑346 288‑384 Mitigated

240‑300 276‑345 317‑397 365‑456 Life Imprisonment Aggravated

Without Parole

B1 192‑240 221‑276 254‑317 292‑365 336‑420 386‑483 PRESUMPTIVE

144‑192 166‑221 190‑254 219‑292 252‑336 290‑386 Mitigated

             A                A                 A                 A                  A                  A                DISPOSITION

157‑196 189‑237 220‑276 251‑313 282‑353 313‑392 Aggravated

B2 125‑157 151‑189 176‑220 201‑251 225‑282 251‑313 PRESUMPTIVE

 94‑125 114‑151 132‑176 151‑201 169‑225 188‑251 Mitigated

157‑196 180‑225 207‑258 238‑297 273‑342 314‑393 Aggravated

B2 125‑157 144‑180 165‑207 190‑238 219‑273 251‑314 PRESUMPTIVE

94‑125 108‑144 124‑165 143‑190 164‑219 189‑251 Mitigated

             A                A                 A                 A                  A                  A                DISPOSITION

 73‑92 100‑125 116‑145 133‑167 151‑188 168‑210 Aggravated

C 58‑73 80‑100 93‑116 107‑133 121‑151 135‑168 PRESUMPTIVE

 44‑58 60‑80 70‑93 80‑107 90‑121 101‑135 Mitigated

73‑92 83‑104 96‑120 110‑138 127‑159 146‑182 Aggravated

C 58‑73 67‑83 77‑96 88‑110 101‑127 117‑146 PRESUMPTIVE

44‑58 50‑67 58‑77 66‑88 76‑101 87‑117 Mitigated

             A                A                 A                 A                  A                  A                DISPOSITION

 64‑80 77‑95 103‑129 117‑146 133‑167 146‑183 Aggravated

D 51‑64 61‑77 82‑103 94‑117 107‑133 117‑146 PRESUMPTIVE

 38‑51 46‑61 61‑82 71‑94 80‑107 88‑117 Mitigated

64‑80 73‑92 84‑105 97‑121 111‑139 128‑160 Aggravated

D 51‑64 59‑73 67‑84 78‑97 89‑111 103‑128 PRESUMPTIVE

38‑51 44‑59 51‑67 58‑78 67‑89 77‑103 Mitigated

            I/A              I/A                A                 A                  A                  A                DISPOSITION

 25‑31 29‑36 34‑42 46‑58 53‑66 59‑74 Aggravated

E 20‑25 23‑29 27‑34 37‑46 42‑53 47‑59 PRESUMPTIVE

 15‑20 17‑23 20‑27 28‑37 32‑42 35‑47 Mitigated

25‑31 29‑36 33‑41 38‑48 44‑55 50‑63 Aggravated

E 20‑25 23‑29 26‑33 30‑38 35‑44 40‑50 PRESUMPTIVE

15‑20 17‑23 20‑26 23‑30 26‑35 30‑40 Mitigated

            I/A              I/A               I/A                A                  A                  A                DISPOSITION

16‑20 19‑24 21‑26 25‑31 34‑42 39‑49 Aggravated

F 13‑16 15‑19 17‑21 20‑25 27‑34 31‑39 PRESUMPTIVE

10‑13 11‑15 13‑17 15‑20 20‑27 23‑31 Mitigated

16‑20 19‑23 21‑27 25‑31 28‑36 33‑41 Aggravated

F 13‑16 15‑19 17‑21 20‑25 23‑28 26‑33 PRESUMPTIVE

10‑13 11‑15 13‑17 15‑20 17‑23 20‑26 Mitigated

            I/A              I/A               I/A              I/A                 A                  A                DISPOSITION

13‑16 15‑19 16‑20 20‑25 21‑26 29‑36 Aggravated

G 10‑13 12‑15 13‑16 16‑20 17‑21 23‑29 PRESUMPTIVE

 8‑10 9‑12 10‑13 12‑16 13‑17 17‑23 Mitigated

13‑16 14‑18 17‑21 19‑24 22‑27 25‑31 Aggravated

G 10‑13 12‑14 13‑17 15‑19 17‑22 20‑25 PRESUMPTIVE

8‑10 9‑12 10‑13 11‑15 13‑17 15‑20 Mitigated

          C/I/A            I/A               I/A              I/A                I/A                 A                DISPOSITION

            6‑8            8‑10           10‑12          11‑14            15‑19            20‑25                    Aggravated

H         5‑6             6‑8             8‑10           9‑11            12‑15            16‑20           PRESUMPTIVE

            4‑5             4‑6              6‑8             7‑9              9‑12            12‑16                       Mitigated

             C               C/I                 I                I/A                I/A                I/A               DISPOSITION

            6‑8             6‑8              6‑8             8‑10              9‑11             10‑12                    Aggravated

I           4‑6             4‑6              5‑6              6‑8                7‑9              8‑10            PRESUMPTIVE

            3‑4             3‑4              4‑5              4‑6                5‑7               6‑8                       Mitigated"

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2009, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.