If someone is in immediate danger, has trouble breathing or swallowing, experiences voice changes, confusion, weakness, fainting, loss of consciousness, or needs emergency medical assistance after pressure was applied to the neck, call 911. Prompt medical evaluation is encouraged when someone has experienced strangulation or pressure to the neck, even when visible marks are limited or absent.
Wake County Assault & Bond Information
Assault by Strangulation
Understand the charge shown on a Raleigh or Wake County record, determine whether domestic judge-review procedures apply, and verify when a secured bond may be posted.
You may call even when the exact charge wording, booking number, or bond amount is not yet known.
Is Assault by Strangulation a Felony in North Carolina?
Under current G.S. 14-32.4(b), a person accused of assaulting another person and inflicting physical injury by strangulation may be charged with a Class H felony, unless another provision provides greater punishment.
- The statute requires an allegation of physical injury by strangulation
- It is separate from simple assault
- It is separate from assault inflicting serious bodily injury
- It is separate from deadly-weapon assault
- It is separate from attempted murder
- The charge does not itself require a domestic relationship
- Domestic release procedures may still apply when the relationship is covered by G.S. 15A-534.1
- The current custody record and release order must be reviewed
A bondsman cannot determine whether the alleged facts satisfy the statute. The exact custody record and current release order must be checked.
Check the Current Charge and Release Status
Choose the entry that best matches the custody record. Abbreviations may vary between jail, court, law-enforcement, and electronic record systems. The complete charge wording controls over an abbreviation.
Assault by Strangulation Is Listed
A Class H felony under G.S. 14-32.4(b). The charge requires an allegation of physical injury by strangulation. A bondsman may be relevant only if a secured bond is set.
Assault Inflicting Physical Injury by Strangulation
The full statutory wording under G.S. 14-32.4(b). Separate from simple assault, serious bodily injury, and deadly-weapon charges. May have its own bond or release condition.
The Record Says Strangulation or Choking
Callers may use choking conversationally, but the official record may say strangulation. Copy the exact charge wording shown on the custody record.
Assault Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury Is Also Listed
A separate Class F felony under G.S. 14-32.4(a). Both charges may appear from the same alleged incident. Each may have its own release condition.
Assault on a Female Is Also Listed
A separate Class A1 misdemeanor under G.S. 14-33(c)(2). May or may not involve a domestic relationship. Each charge may have a separate bond.
Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence Is Also Listed
A separate Class A1 misdemeanor under G.S. 14-32.5. Specifically concerns covered domestic relationships and may trigger G.S. 15A-534.1 judge-review procedures.
A Deadly-Weapon Charge Is Also Listed
A separate felony such as AWDWISI or AWDWIKISI under G.S. 14-32. Each charge may have its own bond and release condition.
The Parties Are Spouses or Former Spouses
A covered domestic relationship may trigger judge-set release conditions under G.S. 15A-534.1. A bondsman cannot act until an eligible secured bond is authorized.
The Parties Live or Previously Lived as If Married
Another covered domestic relationship. Judge-review procedures may apply. The court determines whether the statute applies.
The Parties Have or Had a Dating Relationship
A covered dating relationship may trigger domestic release procedures. The court determines whether the relationship qualifies.
There Is No Covered Domestic Relationship
The strangulation charge itself does not require a domestic relationship. Ordinary release procedures under G.S. 15A-534 may apply.
Bond Has Not Been Set
Release conditions may still be pending. A bondsman cannot act until an eligible secured bond has been authorized.
Judge Review Is Required
A judge or judicial official must determine release conditions before a commercial bond can be posted.
A Secured Bond Is Shown
A licensed bondsman may be able to assist after review and approval of the secured bond.
Electronic Monitoring or House Arrest Is Shown
Monitoring must be arranged in addition to satisfying any secured bond requirement.
“Violent Offense” Is Marked
Another charge on the same record may independently qualify as a violent offense. The release order may contain a finding based on another count.
One Charge Has a Bond and Another Says No Release
Each charge may have a different release condition. Posting one secured bond may not produce release when another entry remains unresolved.
A Protective-Order Violation Is Listed
A separate charge involving an alleged violation of a 50B protective order. May have its own release condition or hold.
Another County or Agency Hold Appears
Another case, county, probation matter, or agency hold may prevent release even after an eligible bond is posted.
Information to Gather
Copy every entry exactly rather than referring to the case only as choking or domestic assault. Incomplete information should not prevent someone from calling.
Have This Ready When You Call
- Defendant's full legal name
- Date of birth
- Booking or inmate number
- Court file or case number
- Exact wording of every charge
- Every abbreviation displayed
- Misdemeanor or felony class shown
- Current custody location
- Bond amount for every charge
- Bond type or release condition for every charge
- Whether judge review is required
- Whether “violent offense” is marked
- Whether electronic monitoring or house arrest is shown
- Relationship between the defendant and alleged victim
- Whether the parties currently or previously lived together
- Whether they have or had a dating relationship
- Whether they share children
- No-contact or stay-away conditions
- Existing protective orders
- Other assault, firearm, warrant, probation, or FTA entries
- Holds from another county or agency
- Caller and potential cosigner information
Strangulation Versus Choking
People often use “choking” conversationally, but the official court record may use “strangulation.”
Strangulation
Generally refers to external pressure affecting the neck, blood vessels, or airway.
Choking
Commonly refers medically to an object obstructing the internal airway, although callers and records may use the word informally.
- The visitor should use the exact charge wording shown on the record
- A bondsman should not rewrite or reinterpret the criminal charge
- Medical and legal terminology may differ
- Questions about whether the alleged conduct meets the legal definition belong with criminal defense counsel
- Medical symptoms should be evaluated by qualified health professionals
Does the Charge Require Physical Injury?
The current statute uses the phrase “inflicts physical injury by strangulation.”
- The charge wording includes an allegation of physical injury
- The statute does not use “serious bodily injury” as the required phrase for this offense
- Visible external marks are not the only possible medical consideration
- A custody record does not usually contain the complete medical evidence
- A bondsman cannot determine whether physical injury occurred
- Medical records, expert opinions, causation, and legal sufficiency belong with the attorney and appropriate professionals
Legal and medical boundary: Do not create an injury checklist intended to decide whether the charge is valid. Whether the alleged conduct meets the statutory definition is a legal question for the court and criminal defense counsel.
Strangulation Versus Serious Bodily Injury
Both charges may appear from the same alleged incident, depending on the official charging record.
| Charge Label | Statute | Class | Injury Standard | Definition | Weapon? | Violent Offense? | What to Verify |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assault by Strangulation | G.S. 14-32.4(b) | Class H felony | Physical injury by strangulation | Uses the physical-injury-by-strangulation standard | Not required in the charge title | Evaluate under current definition | Copy the exact charge wording; do not shorten to choking |
| Assault Inflicting Serious Bodily Injury | G.S. 14-32.4(a) | Class F felony | Serious bodily injury (statutory definition) | Has a specific statutory definition under G.S. 14-32.4 | Not required in the charge title | May qualify under violent-offense rules | Confirm whether strangulation is separately listed |
For the complete comparison among serious injury, serious bodily injury, and deadly-weapon injury charges, review the serious-injury assault charge guide.
Strangulation Versus Deadly-Weapon Assault
Assault by Strangulation does not require deadly-weapon wording in its charge title. A separate deadly-weapon charge may appear when the record alleges conduct covered by another statute.
Help verify whether the record also lists:
- Assault with a deadly weapon
- AWDWISI
- AWDWIK
- AWDWIKISI
- Pointing a gun
- Another firearm or weapon offense
Each separate line may have its own bond and release condition. For the complete deadly-weapon charge guide, review the deadly-weapon assault charge information.
Is Every Strangulation Charge Domestic?
No. G.S. 14-32.4(b) applies to an alleged assault on another person and does not itself require a domestic relationship.
Domestic judge-set release procedures may apply when the alleged relationship is covered by current G.S. 15A-534.1.
Help verify whether the alleged victim is:
- A current spouse
- A former spouse
- A person with whom the defendant lives or previously lived as if married
- A current dating partner
- A former dating partner
- A person not within a covered domestic relationship
- A person whose relationship is unclear
For complete relationship-based arrest and release information, review the domestic-violence release procedures.
Who Sets Release Conditions in a Domestic Case?
When the charge and relationship fall within G.S. 15A-534.1:
- A judge determines the conditions of pretrial release
- Criminal-history information must be considered
- The judge may impose a secured bond and protective conditions
- A bondsman cannot act until an eligible secured bond is authorized
- If a judge has not acted within 48 hours after arrest, a magistrate must act under the statute
This is not an automatic mandatory 48-hour hold in every covered case.
A judge may determine release conditions before 48 hours. A bondsman cannot accelerate, bypass, or replace the judicial determination.
Is Strangulation a “Violent Offense” for Pretrial Release?
The current assault-based category in G.S. 15A-531 defines a violent offense to include qualifying Class A through G felonies involving assault, physical force, or threatened physical force as an essential element.
Assault by Strangulation is currently a Class H felony. Therefore:
- The strangulation charge should not automatically be classified under the Class A-through-G assault category solely because it is an assault felony
- The exact current definition must be checked before publication
- Another charge on the same record may independently qualify as a violent offense
- The release order may contain a violent-offense finding based on another count
- Domestic judge-review rules are separate from violent-offense rules
- The current release order controls
Potential separately listed charges that may require a different analysis include:
- Assault inflicting serious bodily injury
- AWDWISI
- AWDWIK
- AWDWIKISI
- Another qualifying felony
- An attempted qualifying violent offense
Bond-Status Decoder
Unsecured Bond
A commercial bondsman is generally not needed merely to satisfy that condition.
Custody Release
Release may be authorized to a designated person or organization.
Secured Bond
A licensed bondsman may be able to assist after review and approval.
House Arrest With Electronic Monitoring and a Secured Bond
Monitoring must be arranged in addition to satisfying the secured bond.
Judge Review Required
An authorized judge must determine or review conditions before a commercial bond can be posted.
No Release Currently Authorized
A commercial bond cannot be posted unless an authorized judicial official changes the condition.
Outside Hold
Another court, county, probation matter, federal process, or agency may prevent release.
What Happens After Arrest in Wake County?
- 1Arrest and transportation
- 2Booking and entry of every charge
- 3Relationship, criminal-history, and release information are reviewed
- 4Domestic or other specialized release procedures are applied when required
- 5A judicial official determines release conditions
- 6The family verifies every bond, no-release entry, condition, and hold
- 7A licensed bondsman reviews an eligible secured bond
- 8Approved paperwork, premium, payment, and collateral requirements are completed
- 9The bond is posted
- 10The detention facility completes release processing
A bondsman does not:
- Determine whether strangulation occurred
- Determine whether physical injury occurred
- Interpret medical evidence
- Decide whether the case is domestic
- Decide whether another charge is a violent offense
- Set or reduce the bond
- Modify no-contact or stay-away conditions
- Remove protective orders
- Remove outside holds
- Control final jail processing time
Why Multiple Charges May Appear
One alleged incident may produce separate entries involving:
Verify Every Charge Before Paying or Signing
Each charge may carry a separate release condition. Posting one secured bond may not produce release when another charge, judge-review requirement, no-release entry, monitoring condition, or outside hold remains unresolved.
No-Contact and Stay-Away Conditions
The release order may prohibit:
- Calls
- Text messages
- Social-media messages
- In-person contact
- Contact through friends or family
- Contact through children
- Delivering apologies, gifts, or property
- Going to a shared home, workplace, school, or another listed location
- Contact involving shared property
- Firearm possession
- Alcohol use
- Other conduct
Do not contact the alleged victim on the defendant's behalf or help arrange indirect contact.
- The alleged victim cannot privately cancel a court-ordered condition
- Consent to contact does not automatically change the order
- Only the court can modify court-ordered conditions
- Violations may lead to arrest or revocation
- Questions involving housing, children, property, or contact belong with the attorney
- A bondsman cannot authorize exceptions
What Can Delay Bond Posting or Release?
No fixed release time should be promised.
Cost, Payment, and Collateral
Total Bond Amount
The amount set by the judicial official.
Bail Bond Premium
The applicable fee for the commercial surety bond.
Initial Premium Payment
The amount due when beginning an approved payment arrangement.
Payment Plan
An approved agreement for the remaining premium.
Cosigner or Indemnitor
A person accepting contractual responsibility.
Collateral
Money or property that may be required to secure the bond company's exposure.
Approval may depend on the total secured-bond amount, number and level of charges, domestic release conditions, other specialized release findings, monitoring requirements, prior court history, cosigner qualifications, residence and employment information, ability to maintain contact, collateral when applicable, and additional underwriting risk.
For detailed affordability information, review the bail bond payment options. Payment arrangements do not reduce the court-ordered bond. Not every strangulation bond requires collateral.
What a Bondsman Can and Cannot Do
A Licensed Bondsman May
- Help verify available custody and bond information
- Review every secured-bond entry
- Explain when an authorized bond can be posted
- Check other publicly available bonds and holds
- Explain the commercial bond process
- Review cosigner information
- Explain premium, payment, and collateral requirements
- Prepare approved documents
- Post an eligible secured bond
- Confirm when the bond has been submitted
- Provide bond-posting updates
A Bondsman Cannot
- Determine whether strangulation occurred
- Diagnose or interpret an injury
- Interpret medical records
- Decide whether physical injury was established
- Evaluate witness statements or credibility
- Advise on self-defense
- Decide whether the case is domestic
- Decide whether another charge qualifies as a violent offense
- Set or reduce the bond
- Modify no-contact or protective conditions
- Remove another agency's hold
- Give criminal-defense or medical advice
- Guarantee approval, release, or a release time
- Predict the case outcome
What to Do Right Now
- Call 911 when someone may be in medical danger
- Confirm the defendant's full legal name
- Copy every charge exactly
- Determine whether the person is in custody
- Record every bond amount and release condition
- Identify whether judge review is pending
- Determine whether a covered domestic relationship is involved
- Check whether serious bodily injury or another felony is separately listed
- Check whether “violent offense” is marked and identify which charge may support it
- Review all no-contact, stay-away, monitoring, firearm, and property conditions
- Identify other warrants, counties, probation matters, or holds
- Avoid discussing alleged facts publicly or on social media
- Do not contact the alleged victim for the defendant
- Do not retrieve, alter, or destroy potential evidence
- Contact qualified criminal defense counsel
- Contact a licensed bondsman when an eligible secured bond is available
- Prepare identification and potential cosigner information
After Release
- Read every release condition
- Confirm the next court date through an official source
- Follow every no-contact and stay-away condition
- Do not communicate indirectly through another person
- Follow all residence, property, travel, firearm, alcohol, and monitoring restrictions
- Keep address and telephone information current
- Stay in contact with the attorney
- Notify the bondsman of address or court-date changes
- Do not assume a restriction has changed without a new court order
- Attend every required court appearance
Helpful Resources
Domestic Violence Arrest and Release
When domestic judge-review rules may apply to a strangulation charge
Review Domestic Violence ProceduresWake County Bail Process
How bail works in Wake County and how a secured bond is posted
Understand the Wake County Bail ProcessWake County Detention Center Information
Booking, custody, and facility release information
Check Wake County Booking and ReleaseBail Bond Payment Options
Premium, down payment, and approved payment arrangements
Review Payment OptionsSecure Online Application
Begin the secure online application when a secured bond has been authorized
Begin the Secure Online ApplicationFrequently Asked Questions
Questions About a Strangulation Charge?
Call Raleigh Bail Bonds with the defendant's full legal name, date of birth, current custody location, charges, file numbers, and secured bond amount if available. We can help verify the exact charge, whether domestic judge-review procedures apply, and whether a secured bond is currently eligible.
Last reviewed August 2026 by a licensed North Carolina bail bondsman. This page provides general information about bail and pretrial release. It does not interpret a specific release order, provide legal or medical advice, or replace emergency safety services. Questions about injury classifications, medical evidence, causation, relationship questions, self-defense, release-condition modification, and case outcomes belong with a qualified criminal defense attorney. Medical symptoms should be evaluated by qualified health professionals.