Is a person statutorily entitled to counsel if he or she is charged with more than one Class 3 misdemeanor and the aggregate fine is $500 or more?

Probably not. In other contexts, the courts have refused to aggregate charges for purposes of finding a right that does not exist for individual charges. See Lewis v. United States, 518 U.S. 322 (1996) (under Sixth Amendment rule that a defendant is entitled to jury trial for misdemeanor punishable by six months or more, U.S. Supreme Court holds that defendant charged with multiple misdemeanors, none of which individually carries a sentence of more than six months of imprisonment, does not have right to jury trial); State v. Speights, 280 N.C. 137 (1971) (before U.S. Supreme Court clarified that defendants have right to appointed counsel for misdemeanors carrying sentence of imprisonment, North Carolina Supreme Court held that defendant charged with multiple misdemeanors, each of which carried a sentence of six months or less, did not have right to counsel).

Public Officials - Courts and Judicial Administration Roles
Topics - Courts and Judicial Administration