Updated: North Carolina District and Superior Courts Closed Until At Least April 13, 2020
Originally published on March 12, 2020 8:45 p.m.; Updated March 13, 2020.
All regular sessions of District Court and Superior Court have been closed until at least April 13, 2020. This applies to Raleigh, Wake County, and every other prosecutorial jurisdiction of North Carolina. You can view active closings here. If you have court during that time, your case will be rescheduled.
If court closes because of corona virus, how will it affect my case?
If you have pending charges . . . If you are charged with an offense and have a court date between now and April 13, 2020 you should (1) contact your attorney, (2) look for a rescheduling order in the mail, and (3) check for your court date here. Most importantly, contact your attorney for an update on what is going on with your case. That cannot be said enough. If you do not have an attorney, you should strongly consider engaging one.
If someone is charged with a felony offense when courts are closed . . . When a person is charged with a felony offense, they must be brought before a District Court Judge for a first appearance at the first regular session of the District Court of the county or within 96 hours, whichever comes first. So, if a person is arrested and the regular sessions of the District Court are closed, the judicial system should still be making accommodations for new charges.
At the first appearance, a District Court Judge will warn the accused of his right against self-incrimination, advise the accused of the charges against him or her, assure the person’s right to counsel, confirm the accused has received a copy of his warrant for arrest, and review the bond and other conditions of release. The first appearance can be done by video monitor, which I would expect to see done wherever possible in the event of a corona virus closing. When an attorney is retained before the first appearance is held, the attorney should make every effort to be present at the first appearance, even during corona virus closings.
At the end of the first appearance, which is usually not lengthy, a new court date will be given.
For more information about Wake County courts and other counties, click here.
Written by Landon White.
