Legal car meets and races are a good time for all ages. From seeing cars made before you were born to races between average people with suped up cars, these car events are quite the spectacle. It gets dicey when these fun events are not sponsored or even allowed by the city you do it in. In recent years, it is a trend where people come together to shut down a main road in the city and hold these car events. The issue is that neither the state nor the city allow it, which makes it an illegal street takeover. Due to these recent developments, the state of North Carolina has implemented a new statute, criminalizing these street takeovers and its participants.
What Exactly is a Street Takeover Under the New Statute?
Under NCGS § 20‑141.10, it is illegal to participate in, coordinate through social media or otherwise, commit an overt act in furtherance of, or facilitate a street takeover. Additionally, mere presence alone without an intentional act is not sufficient to sustain a conviction under this section. A motor vehicle involved in a street takeover may be seized by law enforcement. Any person in violation of this section is guilty of a Class A1 misdemeanor, which is the highest level of misdemeanor.
What this statute means is that you may not participate in an illegal street takeover. Now, just being there does not get you a charge, as the statute says that there must also be an intentional act in furtherance of a street takeover. Due to this statute being very new in the state of NC, there are not many examples as to what this means. But the general idea is that any participation that is not just being there can get you a charge of street takeover spectator.
How Do These Takeovers Happen?
The way these takeovers usually work is that there will be a person or group of people who post on social media that there will be a “race” or “car meet” with a specific address or road in the details. They typically happen in the middle of the night to avoid encounters with law enforcement and traffic. Then, the post or information gets spread around the community and hundreds if not thousands of people end up meeting at the designated address and literally “take over” a certain area. These meets are all about cars, so people with upgraded cars come and do reckless things with their cars such as burnouts, doughnuts and drifting, among other stunts. This can be very dangerous, as there are no regulations, professionals or law enforcement to ensure the safety of everyone there. This is why NC enacted this statute and why the penalties for this are so high.
According to the statute, just by coordinating one of these takeovers can get you a charge of this nature. Additionally, participating in one of these takeovers will also get you a charge under this statute. A big part of this new statute is that if you are a repeated offender, as car meet people tend to be, you could be hit with a Class H felony, which has a maximum punishment of 39 months in prison along with other hefty fines. Along with this, registration as a felon would be in order, which would drastically hinder your life by making it hard to get a job, apply for housing and other government programs. In order for a felony charge to apply, you must be a repeated offender of this statute within 2 years of each other.
I Love Cars, How Can I Do This Legally?
As mentioned earlier, car meets and races are a fun activity, especially in the summer. But what makes this fun is the legality of it that provides safety and regulations for such events. When done illegally, risks of all types arise and if things got out of hand, there would be no law enforcement there to regulate things. The best way to participate in one of these takeovers is to attend one that is legal and sponsored by the state or city. There are plenty of these happening all the time, so attending one wouldn’t be that tall of a feat. Additionally, you won’t have to worry about getting a charge for being there or participating. The legal issues that arise when the takeover is illegal are eliminated when you simply go to or participate in a takeover that is legal and sponsored by the city or state.
Although this statute is very new, the attorneys at Jetton & Meredith have been excelling in the legal community for over a decade. New statutes are not uncommon, but a good legal team that can adjust to new laws is. If you find yourself with a charge of this nature, the attorneys at Jetton & Meredith are more than capable of building your defense and giving you the peace of mind you need in times of legal trouble. Contact them today if you are charged with a Street Takeover charge.