A felony is a crime which:

(1)        Was a felony at common law;

(2)        Is or may be punishable by death;

(3)        Is or may be punishable by imprisonment in the State‘s prison; or

(4)        Is denominated as a felony by statute.

Any other crime is a misdemeanor. (1891, c. 205, s. 1; Rev., s. 3291; C.S., s. 4171; 1967, c. 1251, s. 1.)

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Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 14-1

  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.