Smith's Criminal Case Compendium
Table of Contents
Evidence
Arrest, Search, and Investigation
Criminal Offenses
Drug Offenses
State v. Nunez, 204 N.C. App. 164 (May. 18, 2010)
The trial judge had discretion whether to run two drug trafficking sentences imposed at the same time concurrently or consecutively. G.S. 90-95(h) provides that, “[s]entences imposed pursuant to this subsection shall run consecutively with and shall commence at the expiration of any sentence being served by the person sentenced hereunder.” This means that if the defendant is already serving a sentence, the new sentence must run consecutively to that sentence. It does not mean that when a defendant is convicted of multiple trafficking offenses at a term of court that those sentences, as a matter of law, must run consecutively to each other.