North Carolina County Court Information
There are one hundred counties in North Carolina. However the judicial divisions are not based on these geographical divisions. The state boasts a unified court system comprising of the Appellate Division and a couple of Trial Divisions-namely, the Superior Courts and the District Courts.
North Carolina Superior Courts
There are sixty-four Superior Courts in the different judicial districts of North Carolina. There are 105 Superior Court judges who have to tackle approximately 280,000 cases annually. There are 14 special judges in the Superior Courts but there is no provision for jury trials within them.
Each of these North Carolina county courts has the power to decide cases related to misdemeanors and felonies, matters concerning estates and adoptions, and appeals made by the Industrial Commissions and Utilities Commission.
North Carolina District Courts
There are also several district courts in North Carolina. These North Carolina county courts have limited jurisdiction. There are 226 judges appointed for the district courts in North Carolina. There are also 706 magistrates appointed for the district courts in the state.
The district courts have the power to decide cases related to felony and misdemeanor preliminary hearings, divorces, domestic issues and other civil matters worth less than $10,000, mental health cases and juvenile crimes. Apart from these cases, the judges of the district also have the authority for punishing cases of contempt, issuance of arrest and search warrants, ordering the presentation of evidence and presence of witnesses, and granting bail.
These powers have been bestowed on the district courts by the North Carolina General Statutes §7A-291. In some cases, the district courts also preside over hearings to decide whether there is enough available evidence to bring the suspect before the grand jury so that an indictment for a Superior Court trial court can be given. Jury trials are held in the district courts but only in cases that concern civil matters.
North Carolina County Courts Locations
If you want to find information about the various North Carolina county courts, then visit http://www.nccourts.org/County/Default.asp. As you click on the page, the browser will feature a map of the one hundred counties in the state. There is a drop down box on the webpage. Select a county and click on the ‘submit’ option. You will automatically be re-directed to the webpage featuring the North Carolina county court information and also the judicial district under which it falls. Some of the judicial districts and their constituent counties include:
District 1:
Chowan
Gates
Perquimans
Camden
Dare
Curritick
Pasquotank
District 2:
Washington
Hyde
Tyrell
Beaufort
Martin
District 3A:
Pitt
District 3B:
Craven
Pamlico
Cartaret
District 4A:
Sampson
Duplin
Jones
District 4B:
Onslow
District 5:
Pender
New Hanover
District 6A:
Halifax
District 6B:
Northampton
Bertie
Hertford
District 7A:
Nash
District 7BC:
Edgecombe
Wilson
District 8A:
Greene
Lenoir
District 8B:
Layne
District 9:
Vance
Franklin
Warren
Granville
District 9A:
Caswell
Person
District 10:
Wake
District 11A:
Lee
Harnett
District 11B:
Johnston
District 12:
Cumberland
District 13:
Columbus
Bladen
Brunswick
District 14:
Durham
District 15A:
Alamance
District 15B:
Chatham
Orange
District 16A:
Hoke
Scotland
District 16B:
Robeson
District 17A:
Rockingham
District 17B:
Surry
Stokes
District 18:
Guilford
District 19A:
Cabarrus
District 19B:
Randolph
Moore
Montgomery
District 19C:
Rowan
District 20A:
Richmond
Anson
District 20B:
Union
Stanly
For information on the remaining judicial districts and the counties go to http://www.aoc.state.nc.us/www/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/public/html/trial_courts.htm
Queries related to court proceedings, court fees and traffic violations should be directed to the respective county courthouse. You can reach the Administrative Office at:
Administrative Office of the Courts
P.O Box 2448
Raleigh, N.C 27602-2448
Or call (919) 890-1000
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