Criminal Defense Lawyer in Fayetteville, NC
Charged in Cumberland County? We defend assault, theft, drug and probation matters in Fayetteville, with a free consultation once a charge has been filed. DWI is Johnston and Harnett only - we say so upfront.
What we take in Cumberland County - and what we do not
We defend in Cumberland County
- • Assault and violent charges
- • Larceny, shoplifting and theft
- • Drug possession and trafficking
- • Weapons charges
- • Breaking and entering
- • Probation violations and failure to appear
- • Expungement of eligible records
We do not take
- • DWI or DUI in Cumberland County. Impaired-driving defence is limited to Johnston and Harnett - see our Johnston County DWI page.
- • Sex offence cases, in any county.
A traffic citation is a different thing again and is quoted as a flat fee - Fayetteville traffic tickets.
Is a criminal defense consultation free in Fayetteville?
If you have been charged - a citation, a warrant, a release order or a court date - yes, and it is available 24/7 after an arrest. If nothing has been filed and the question is about an investigation, for example a detective asking you to come in and talk, that is a paid attorney evaluation rather than a free intake appointment, because you are asking for advice on an open matter rather than defence of a pending charge. Ask on the phone and we will tell you which one you are before you commit to anything.
What happens at a first appearance in Cumberland County?
The court confirms the charge, addresses conditions of release, and sets the next date. It is not the trial and nothing is decided about guilt. What it does decide, in practice, is whether you go home and on what terms - so it is the date at which having counsel present makes the most difference to your immediate life rather than to the eventual outcome.
Will a charge stay on my record if it is dismissed?
Yes, until it is expunged. This surprises almost everyone. A dismissal ends the case but does not erase the record of the charge, and background checks pulled by employers and landlords will still show it. Expungement under N.C.G.S. § 15A-145 and related statutes is a separate court process that has to be filed for. Dismissals, not-guilty verdicts and many first-time misdemeanours qualify.
We Appear in Cumberland
Office in Smithfield, 44 mi
Non-DWI Charges
DWI: Johnston & Harnett only
24/7 Arrest Response
Free once charged
Bilingual Team
Se habla español
Charges We Defend in Cumberland County
Assault and Violent Charges
- Simple and aggravated assault (§ 14-33)
- Assault on a female
- Communicating threats
- Affray and disorderly conduct
- Domestic violence protective orders
Theft and Property
- Larceny and shoplifting
- Breaking and entering
- Obtaining property by false pretences
- Injury to personal property
- Trespass
Drug Charges
- Simple possession (Chapter 90)
- Possession with intent to sell or deliver
- Trafficking by weight
- Paraphernalia
- Search and seizure challenges
Probation, Warrants and Records
- Probation violation hearings
- Failure to appear and orders for arrest
- Weapons charges
- Expungement (§ 15A-145)
- Record review before a background check
Not on this list: DWI and DUI in Cumberland County, and sex offence cases anywhere.
The Cumberland County Court System
District Court
Cumberland County District Court, in Fayetteville, is where most cases begin and where most misdemeanours end. It handles:
- • Misdemeanour trials
- • First appearances
- • Bond and release conditions
- • Probation violation hearings
- • Preliminary matters on felonies
Superior Court
Cumberland County Superior Court hears felony matters, jury trials and appeals from District Court, on the same two-tier structure used statewide:
- • Felony trials
- • Jury trials
- • Sentencing hearings
- • Appeals from District Court
Communities We Serve in Cumberland County
Fayetteville · Hope Mills · Spring Lake · Stedman · Eastover · Wade · Falcon · Linden · Godwin · and the surrounding county. We appear in Cumberland County court for non-DWI charges. If your charge is a Cumberland County DWI, or your case is in a county we do not cover, call anyway - we will tell you honestly what we can and cannot do rather than take the file and work it out later.
If You Are Serving and Facing a Civilian Charge
Fayetteville is a garrison town, and a large share of the criminal charges filed in Cumberland County involve service members, spouses or dependants. There are two proceedings in that situation, not one, and they run on separate tracks with separate rules.
The State Case - What We Do
- • Defend the charge in Cumberland County District or Superior Court
- • Appear on your behalf where the court allows it, around duty
- • Push for a disposition that is expungement-eligible where possible
- • Keep the state timeline visible to you while the administrative side moves
The Military Side - What We Do Not
- • A civilian arrest is routinely reported to your command
- • Administrative action follows its own rules and its own timing
- • A dismissal in state court does not automatically resolve it
- • Military justice and command proceedings are for defence counsel on that side
We say this plainly because the opposite promise gets made a lot in this town. We defend the state charge well; we do not represent you inside the military process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you handle DWI charges in Cumberland County?
No. Our DWI and DUI defence is limited to Johnston and Harnett counties. In Cumberland County we defend every other kind of charge - assault, larceny and theft, drug offences, weapons charges, probation violations and expungement - but not impaired driving. We would rather say that on the page than take the call and tell you afterwards. If your charge is a Cumberland County DWI, call anyway and we will tell you honestly what we can and cannot do.
What charges do you defend in Fayetteville?
Assault and other violent charges, larceny, shoplifting and other theft offences, drug possession and trafficking under Chapter 90, weapons charges, breaking and entering, probation violations, failure to appear, and expungement of eligible records. We do not take sex offence cases, and we do not take Cumberland County DWI.
Is the consultation free?
If you have actually been charged - you have a citation, a warrant, a release order or a court date - the consultation is free. If nothing has been filed yet and the question is about an investigation, for example a detective asking for an interview, that is a paid attorney evaluation rather than a free intake appointment, because it is legal advice on an open matter rather than defence of a pending charge. Either way, ask on the phone and we will tell you which one applies before you commit to anything.
Which court will my Fayetteville case be in?
Cumberland County District Court in Fayetteville hears misdemeanours, first appearances, bond hearings and probation violations. Cumberland County Superior Court hears felony matters, jury trials and appeals from District Court. Which one you are in is set by the class of the charge, not by anything you choose.
I am active duty. Will a civilian charge affect my career?
It can, and that is a separate track from the criminal case itself. A civilian arrest in Cumberland County is routinely reported to a service member's command, and the administrative consequences follow their own rules and timelines regardless of how the state case ends - a dismissal in Cumberland County District Court does not automatically resolve anything on the military side. We defend the state charge and keep an eye on how the timing affects the military process, but your command's actions and any military justice matter are handled by defence counsel on that side, not by us.
What should I do before my first court date?
Three things. Do not discuss the facts with anyone but your attorney, including on a recorded jail line or on social media. Write down everything you remember now, while it is fresh, including names and times. And do not miss the date - a failure to appear turns a manageable charge into an order for arrest and a separate offence.
Can a Cumberland County charge be expunged later?
Some can. Dismissed charges, not-guilty verdicts and many first-time misdemeanours can be expunged under N.C.G.S. § 15A-145 and related statutes, but expungement is a separate court process - a dismissal alone does not erase the record. North Carolina convictions otherwise stay on the public record permanently and show up on employer and landlord background checks. We review the whole record and tell you what is eligible.
Do you have an office in Fayetteville?
No. Our nearest office is in Smithfield, about 44 miles north at 612 S. Brightleaf Blvd, open Saturday mornings as well as weekdays. We appear in Cumberland County court; the office is where the file lives, not where the case is heard.
Do you handle criminal cases in Spanish?
Yes. The firm is bilingual and this page has a Spanish version. You can discuss a Cumberland County charge in Spanish at 1-844-967-3536.
Criminal Charges and Sentencing in Cumberland County, North Carolina
Charge Classes and Prior Record Points
North Carolina classifies offences as infractions, misdemeanours in Classes A1, 1, 2 and 3 under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.23, and felonies in Classes A through I under § 15A-1340.17. Under the Structured Sentencing Act the class of the offence sets a grid, and the defendant's prior record points then select a range within it, which is why two people charged with the same offence in Cumberland County District Court can face very different exposure. Understanding where a charge sits on that grid before the first court date is what makes it possible to say whether a proposed resolution is a good one, and whether the disposition being offered would leave the record expungement-eligible under § 15A-145 and related statutes.
Why This Page Says No to DWI
Vasquez Law Firm defends impaired-driving charges in Johnston and Harnett counties only. Cumberland County was added to the firm's criminal scope for every other charge type, and that distinction is enforced in the booking system itself rather than left to judgement - a Cumberland County DWI enquiry is captured and passed to intake rather than given a court-ready appointment. Publishing DWI defence on a Fayetteville page would generate exactly the call the firm cannot take, from someone who by definition has a court date and limited time to find counsel. If your charge is a Cumberland County DWI, calling is still worthwhile: we will say so immediately rather than after an appointment, and a Johnston or Harnett County DWI is squarely within scope.
Representation Without an Office in Your Town
Vasquez Law Firm has no office in Fayetteville and this page does not suggest otherwise. Cumberland County matters are handled from the firm's Smithfield office at 612 S. Brightleaf Blvd, Smithfield, NC 27577, about forty-four miles north and open Saturday mornings as well as weekdays, and the firm appears in Cumberland County court. For a criminal matter the location of the office is largely beside the point: what matters is who stands with you at the courthouse in Fayetteville and whether they knew the file before they got there. If you have been charged with a non-DWI offence anywhere in Cumberland County, call 1-844-967-3536 - free once a charge has been filed, available 24/7 after an arrest. Se habla español.
Charged in Cumberland County? Call Before Your Court Date
Free consultation once a charge has been filed, 24/7 after an arrest. We will tell you on the first call whether your charge is one we can take.
Vasquez Law Firm, PLLC
Appearing in Cumberland County court from our Smithfield office
612 S. Brightleaf Blvd
Smithfield, NC 27577
(844) 967-3536
24/7 Arrest Response
leads@vasquezlawfirm.com
Free Once Charged
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