You must first request an account which is then approved by the Business Court. This service will allow you to file to an existing case electronically. For general inquiries please direct your attention to: Thomas W. Estes, Senior Court Coordinator Chief Justice Beasley stressed that while courthouses must remain open, officials must drastically curtail trips to local courts to help reduce community transmission of COVID-19 and further protect employees of the courts who must still interact with the public. Odyssey is a new, web-based integrated case management system that the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts is rolling out in stages statewide. . View current and past calendars of Oral Arguments. RPA licensees have access to data in NCAOC's Automated Criminal/Infractions System (ACIS) and Civil Case Processing System (VCAP). I have requested that the Governor prioritize our court personnel in the COVID-19 vaccination schedule so we can fulfill our constitutional open courts mandate to provide equal justice to all in a timely manner.. Filing deadlines for criminal matters are extended until July 31. It was drafted in consultation with a committee formed to address the various requirements for both the procedural and electronic-filing considerations related to complex business cases. N.C.G.S. The Attorney Generals Office issuesopinions reminding government entities of their obligations under these laws and how to comply. Our department has handled hundreds of criminal cases against elected and appointed officials. Theorderextends Emergency Directives 26 and 8, and modifiesand extendsEmergency Directives 18 and 22. Statutory AuthorityThe North Carolina General Assembly has authorized the NCAOC to enter into non-exclusive contracts with third parties to facilitate remote electronic access to court records by the public. Courts are required to set immediate hearings for public records suits and to give hearings of these cases priority over other cases. Superior Court Master Calendars Archive The law provides a very broad definition of what is a public record and stipulates that anyone can request a public record for any reason. Chief Business Court Judge. These rules apply to personnel information for applicants, current employees and former employees. The order will take effect on May 10, 2021, and expire on June 6, 2021. Emergency Directive 8 Magistrates must continue to perform marriages, although hours may be restricted and appointments may be required. Persons seeking federal records under FOIA should contact an agency public information officer. Public bodies must conduct business in public. Dockets will be smaller. The emergency directive extends Emergency Directives 26 and 8, and includes a modification and extension of Emergency Directives 18 and 22. The emergency directives contained in the order are effective April 12, 2021, and expire on May 9, 2021. RPA licensees have access to data in NCAOC's Automated Criminal/Infractions System (ACIS) and Civil Case Processing System (VCAP). Chief Justice Cheri Beasleyissued anordertoday extending filing deadlines and further curtailing other court processes. I implore members of the pubic to abide by all recommended public health measures in our courthouses as we conduct court business across North Carolina.. You must first request an account which is then approved by the Business Court. That moratorium continues in effect until late July. The organization has agreed to recruit and train mediators who will serve pro bono to help to settle pending evictions for low-income tenants. The public is encouraged to visitNCcourts.govto find answers to frequently asked questions before calling the local courthouse. Business Court Rules. North Carolinians are resilient and resourceful, and we approach our challenges with a spirit of cooperation and innovation that I know will carry us through the challenging days ahead.. Emergency Directive 18 Landlords must file an affidavit confirming compliance with the Federal CARES Act in any residential eviction for nonpayment. (704) 686-0144Thomas.W.Estes@ncbusinesscourt.net. The law says that records containing certain communications between attorneys and their government clients, state tax information (N.C.G.S. The directives continue to allow increased use of technology and seek to limit foot traffic in courthouses. 7A-39(b) or as circumstances may otherwise warrant. Chief Justice Paul Newby issued an order today extendingemergency directives an additional 30 days in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Todays order also allows jury trials to resume in districts with an approved Jury Trial Resumption Plan. Citing revised guidance on face coverings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the amendment eliminates Emergency Directive 21 (face coverings in court facilities). 132-6(d)), are not public records. We help by acting as a liaison between public officials and the public. The policy of the state of North Carolina is to allow public access to the business of government. Maintenance of physical records is greatly decreased. In an order entered today, the Chief Justice has directed that local courtspostponemost cases in district and superior courtfor at least 30 days. Public health precautions remain in place as the court system continues to increase operations. The directives continue to allow increased use of technology and seek to limit foot traffic in courthouses. Find the location and calendar for the Business Court. The Chief Justice also announced the creation of a new mediation program specific to summary ejectments, the most common form of eviction proceeding for residential tenants. The emergency directives extended today include: For a list of orders from the Chief Justice and theSupreme Court of North Carolina, please visit the continuously updatedCoronavirus (COVID-19) announcement page. To All Counsel and Unrepresented Parties in Pending Business Court Actions: By Order dated June 15, 2022, the Supreme Court of North Carolina has approved amendments to the North Carolina Business Court Rules (Amended Rules). Judges around the state continue to work with local officials and public health experts to finalize plans for the safe resumption of trials. The public is encouraged to visitNCcourts.govas a first resort to determine if a question can be answered without calling the local courthouse. The policy of the state of North Carolina is to allow public access to the business of government. Jury trials are postponed through at least the end of July. Louis A. Bledsoe, III Please do not submit a user account request for such purposes. Online court servicesare available for handling some court business, including citation services, paying your ticket, court payments, signing up for court date notifications and reminders,eFilingcourt documents for certain courts and case types, and more. RPA Prospective Licensees and Access Options, Legal Notices, Disclaimers and Terms of Use, G.S. These emergency directives are crucial to ensuring that our court system continues to administer justice while protecting the health and safety of court officials, court personnel, and the public, said Chief Justice Beasley. It wasdrafted in consultation with a committee formed to address the various requirements for both the procedural and electronic-filing considerations related to complex business cases. Require each senior resident superior court judge to craft a plan for the resumption of jury trials, Require the public to wear face masks while in public areas of court facilities, Require a COVID-19 coordinator for each judicial facility, Prohibit crowded sessions of court where social distancing cannot be observed, Require COVID-19 coordinators to approve court calendars before they are publicly distributed to ensure social distancing is possible and ensure face coverings are available for court personnel, Require senior resident superior court judges to ensure public health measures such as cleaning and social distancing are provided in court facilities, Ensure public access to court records and allows clerks to limit face-to-face interactions when accepting filings, Encourage filings to be submitted by mail and allow a grace period of five days for filings received by mail, Allow clerks of superior court additional time to schedule hearings in summary ejectment actions, Require clerks of superior court to post notice at the courthouse to restrict entry by anyone likely exposed to COVID-19, Allow increased use of teleconferencing for remote court hearings, Limit public presence in courthouses to those with business to be conducted, Waive notary requirements for court filings, Allow certain documents to be served on another party or attorney by email, Direct clerks of superior court not to enter or report nonpayment of money owed in criminal or infraction cases until after July 31, Require that magistrates continue to perform marriages, Require that an affidavit be filed in summary ejectment cases to confirm compliance with the federal CARES Act moratorium on certain evictions. But they are not alone in this fight. N.C.G..S. 132-2, The Public Records Law says that inspection and examination of records should be allowed at reasonable times and under the reasonable supervision of the agency. Extends the deadline for payment of most fines and fees by 90 days and directs clerks not to report failures to pay court debt to the DMV. The law provides a very broad definition of what is a public record and stipulates that anyone can request a public record for any reason. WebOpen Government at North Carolina Department of Justice Open Government. The public may also visit the Judicial Branch Facebook page and Twitter account to access information related to the coronavirus health concern. Decisions about face coverings in courthouse facilities are left to the informed discretion of local court officials. Home Services Citation Lookup Todays orderwill allow us to drastically reduce the exposure caused by crowded sessions of court, which often bring hundreds of people at a time into our courthouses., Although the superior courts and district courts remain open,effective Monday, March 16, superior court and district court proceedings will berescheduledforat least30 days, with some exceptions. Superior Courts Alamance County Superior Court Address: 212 W Elm Street, Graham, North Carolina 27253 Phone: 336-570-5200 More Alexander County Superior Court Deadlines for those payments have been extended and licenses will not be suspended until this emergency passes. The extension applies to any case in which the deadline for appeal fell between March 16 and June 1. The order expires on September 22. Since the onset of the pandemic, Judicial Branch officials and employees have reported 291 confirmed positive cases, and over half of North Carolinas county courthouses have been partially or completely closed due to COVID-19. Fees for certifying copies of public records are provided by law. Note: State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) records are not public records and access to them is not available under the Public Records Law. If you do not find your citation, it is possible that your citation was issued in one of the counties that use eCourts services. The dangers posed by COVID-19 remain serious, and Chief Justice Newbys order encourages local judicial officials to adopt appropriate safety precautions in addition to those mandated by the order. 7A-109(d) and (e) Record-keeping procedures, G.S. The time for filing material listed in Rule 5(d) of the North Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county of venue is extended by the Chief Justices Order through and including 24 April 2020. Counsel and pro se parties in pending cases should carefully review the Supreme Court's order, which may be accessed at North Carolina Business Court Rules. Emergency Directive 22 Senior resident superior court judges are required to submit plans for the resumption of jury trials no later than September 30. The order does not extend the emergency directive that had required the rescheduling of most trial court hearings. View current and past calendars of Oral Arguments. The performance of marriage ceremonies will no longer be governed by emergency orders. To find the list of counties where eCourts services are currently available, click here. For case-specific inquiries, please contact the chambers of the assigned judge. The new emergency directives bring all pending evictions in the trial courts to a halt until June 21, the same period specified in Governor Coopers order. WebNorth Carolinas public records law, enacted in 1935, is one of the most open public records laws in the United States. The vaccine is now readily available to all members of the public, and the result is that many aspects of life are moving toward pre-pandemic normal. 132-1, Any person may inspect and get copies of public records. Chief Justice Cheri Beasleyissued anordertoday extendingemergency directivesin response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These emergency directives have helped mitigate the risk of contracting COVID-19 in our courthouses, said Chief Justice Beasley.Todays order extending the directives for 30 days is needed to help ensure public safety while conducting court business across North Carolina.. Parties and counsel will also need to continue filing documents with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county of venue, and the form of those filings will depend on whether the county is live on Odyssey. To navigate these issues, filers should reference Rules 5.0 and 5.1 of the General Rules of Practice for the Superior and District Courts Supplemental to the Rules of Civil Procedure. The Business Courts go-live date for Odyssey has not been determined. The North Carolina Business Court is a specialized forum of the superior court division. If you do not find your citation, it is possible that your citation was issued in one of the counties that use eCourts services. Although the federal moratorium on certain evictions is ending, several provisions of the CARES Act continue to apply, said Chief Justice Beasley. 132-6, The Public Records Law does not describe any specific procedure that a person must follow in requesting to inspect public records. 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