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The Death Penalty in North Carolina

How North Carolina law treats death penalty, from the state code and official state agencies.

Short answer: North Carolina has the death penalty. First-degree murder (a Class A felony) is punished by death or life imprisonment without parole, as decided at a separate sentencing hearing under G.S. 15A-2000; G.S. 14-17(a); G.S. 15-187; G.S. 15-188

Death penaltyNorth Carolina has the death penalty. First-degree murder (a Class A felony) is punished by death or life imprisonment without parole, as decided at a separate sentencing hearing under G.S. 15A-2000; a person who was under 18 at the time of the murder cannot be sentenced to death and is sentenced under separate juvenile provisions. The statute sets the method as intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death; if that method is held unconstitutional by a North Carolina court or is otherwise unavailable, the Secretary must choose a method another state has adopted.
Method: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_15/GS_15-188.html ; https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_15/GS_15-187.html . No official source on any current pause in executions was reviewed.
Source: G.S. 14-17(a); G.S. 15-187; G.S. 15-188

More North Carolina criminal law

FAQ

Does North Carolina have the death penalty?
North Carolina has the death penalty. First-degree murder (a Class A felony) is punished by death or life imprisonment without parole, as decided at a separate sentencing hearing under G.S. 15A-2000; a person who was under 18 at the time of the murder cannot be sentenced to death and is sentenced under separate juvenile provisions. The statute sets the method as intravenous injection of a substance or substances in a lethal quantity sufficient to cause death; if that method is held unconstitutional by a North Carolina court or is otherwise unavailable, the Secretary must choose a method another state has adopted.

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.