Compare Bills

Primary Sponsor

Last Action

Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate2025-03-26

Vote Breakdown

No floor votes recorded.

Plain Language Summary

This bill increases criminal penalties for assault by strangulation in North Carolina. It upgrades assault with serious bodily injury from a Class F felony to a Class E felony, assault with physical injury by strangulation from a Class H felony to a Class G felony, and maintains assault by strangulation as a Class H felony. The changes take effect June 1, 2025.

Arguments in Favor

• •Supporters argue that strangulation in domestic violence cases is particularly dangerous and often precedes lethal violence, so enhanced penalties are necessary to protect victims and deter offenders.
• •They contend that stronger punishments reflect the severity of strangulation as a crime and send a message that intimate partner violence will be taken seriously by the criminal justice system.

Arguments Against

• •Opponents may argue that increasing felony classifications could lead to harsher sentences that disproportionately affect certain populations and raise concerns about prison overcrowding.
• •They might also question whether enhanced penalties alone effectively reduce domestic violence without accompanying investments in prevention, victim support services, and rehabilitation programs.