Pine Level, North Carolina is located on one square mile in Johnston County, 35 miles east of Raleigh (the state capital) and just five minutes from Smithfield, the county seat. In 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Pine Level was home to 1,313 residents with 374 families residing in the town. The completion of the 223-mile North Carolina Railroad in 1856 gave rise to Pine Level, Princeton, Selma, and Clayton, as well as a thriving industrial village at Wilson's Mills.

Pine Level has a thriving recreation program and sports programs, such as Little League, utilizing the Sam Godwin Recreation Park, the Micro-Pine Level Elementary School gym, and the North Johnston High School football field. The Micro-Pine Level Elementary School, administered by Johnston County Schools, is located in Pine Level. The closest college for Pine Level residents is the Johnston Community College in Smithfield.

The Hinnant Family Vineyard is one of Pine Level’s most popular tourist destinations. The winery features a tour, a tasting room, and a gift shop. The winery has created a compelling wedding destination with three areas among the vineyards for wedding ceremonies, and has converted the first wine production area into a beautiful banquet room for social events.

Travel connections along I-95 and I-40 make all of Johnston County easily accessible to Pine Level residents. Motorists from the town should take care to avoid speeding along the busy I-95 and I-40 corridors in Johnston County, North Carolina, as driving 15 miles per hour over the posted speed limit or in excess of 70 mph is an offense subject to arrest.

The Pine Level Police Department provides law enforcement services. In Pine level, North Carolina, you'll find two trial courts that hear criminal cases: the Superior Court and the District Court. Pine Level utilizes the Johnston County Courthouse, located at 207 East Johnston Street in Smithfield. If you’re confused about the terms you hear in court, you may find this listing of criminal law terms helpful.

The State Superior Court is divided into eight divisions and 46 districts. This trial court hears felony criminal cases, as well as misdemeanor and infraction appeals from District Court. The Superior Court hears civil cases where more than $10,000 is in controversy. North Carolina District Courts are divided into four categories: civil, criminal, juvenile, and magistrate. Like the Superior Court, the District Court sits in the county seat. Civil cases involving less than $10,000 are heard in District Court, as are divorce, custody, and child support matters. The District Court also hears criminal matters involving misdemeanors, infractions without a jury and juvenile cases. A magistrate system is used to take guilty pleas in minor misdemeanors and traffic violations.

The Court of Appeals in Raleigh is NC's only intermediate appellate court. Fifteen judges sit in rotating panels of three, deciding questions of law on every case appealed from the Superior and District courts with the exception of death penalty cases. Appeals can range from a parking ticket case to a murder case. Cases where there is a dissent in the Court of Appeals go to the Supreme Court, as do those that the Supreme Court accepts for review through petition. Court of Appeals judges serve eight-year terms.

The Supreme Court of North Carolina, located in Raleigh, is the state's highest court and there is no further appeal in the state from its decisions. This court has a chief justice and six associate justices who sit together as a panel. The Supreme Court has no jury and makes no determination of fact; rather, it considers error in legal procedures or in judicial interpretation of the law.