State v. Goode

VAUGHN, Judge.

Defendant contends that the solicitor’s announcement that a nolle prosequi was being entered in other cases may have resulted in the imposition of a more severe sentence than would have otherwise been imposed.

It has long been the accepted rule in North Carolina that within the limits of the sentence authorized by law, the character and the extent of the punishment imposed is within the discretion of the trial court and is subject to review only in cases of gross abuse. State v. Sudderth, 184 N.C. 753, 114 S.E. 828. It is not an abuse of discretion for the trial judge to inquire,…