District 18
Guilford County
  

THE NEW DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
18th PROSECUTORIAL DISTRICT

The New Administrative Court
The New Magistrate Court
Court Schedule for Courtroom 2-C
What Law Enforcement Needs To Do
Felony Days
Defendants Who Call and Fail on Admin Day
THE NEW ADMINISTRATIVE COURT
(Greensboro)
There is a new procedure in which the district attorney’s office will be handling court. Starting January 2, 2002 district court will be different. All new criminal cases, including new felonies, will now go through an administrative court. This courtroom will be located in courtroom 2-C in the New Guilford County Courthouse. Law enforcement officers are not required to attend administrative court. The purpose of this court is to handle all the paperwork that usually went on in the morning of every courtroom. In this setting, defendant’s can enter pleas, request continuances, or request public defenders. Once all the administrative matters are completed, the ADA assigned to that courtroom will set the cases on the law enforcement officer’s next court date, either in courtroom 2-G or 2-A. Court will start at 8:30am with the judge taking the bench at 9:00am. All criminal courts will begin at 8:30am effective January 2, 2002.

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THE NEW MAGISTRATE COURT
Since 2-C will no longer handle the minor traffic offense as before, those cases will be moved to the magistrates courtroom in courtroom m215. Again, officers are not required to attend this court. The court procedure is the same as before except we are moving the courtroom. In that courtroom, there will be an ADA and a magistrate. Court will start at 8:30am.

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COURT SCHEDULE FOR COURTROOM 2-C
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, administrative court will be running from 8:30am to 12:30pm. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, felony day will be taking place from 8:30am to 12:30pm. First appearances will remain in 2-C starting at 2:00pm five days a week.

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WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO DO
There will be a new procedure as to how cases will be set. We ask that when an arrest is made or a citation is written for any criminal matter (i.e. trespasses, assaults, DWI, DWLR, C&R, misd. Drugs, nonwaiveable driving offenses) that the charging officer do the following:

1. Once a charge is made, set the defendant’s court date fifteen (15) days away to the next available Monday, Wednesday, or Friday of that week.

2. Be sure to turn all citations into the Clerk of Superior Court within three (3) working days before the defendant’s court date.

The reason we ask to set the dates so soon is to be able to control the docket and free up officer’s time. The ADA will be able to control the dockets by setting the cases on the officer’s court date after the administrative setting. This will free up officer’s time, because the new admin court will take all guilty pleas and first offenders therefore the only matters that will be set are trials in the other courtrooms (2A & 2G). If the officer is not needed in 2A & 2G, then the officer will be released. With the new system officers will be released quicker.

WHAT ABOUT THE NEW MAGISTRATE COURT? Remember this court will run like the old traffic administrative court. This means when defendants are charged with the waiveable traffic offenses, NOLs, inspections, registrations, etc. just do the following:

1. Put these cases on your regular court date, unless the defendant is charged at the same time with a nonwaiveable traffic offense.

2. Put at the top of the citation m215 to let the public know to go to the magistrate’s courtroom starting January 2, 2002.

Remember for the minor traffic offenses we are just moving the courtroom not the procedure.

NOTE: PLEASE KEEP ALL CHARGES TOGETHER. DO NOT GIVE A WRITTEN PROMISE TO APPEAR AT THE SAME TIME THE DEFENDANT IS BEING PLACED INTO CUSTODY FOR SOMETHING ELSE.

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FELONY DAYS
Now felony day will be on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:30am to 12:30pm in courtroom 2-C. Basically, we are cutting the day (that used to be every Wednesday) in half. This gives us an extra day of criminal court in 2-A. The responsibility of setting these cases fall on the magistrates and the DA’s office.

When a felony is charged, the magistrate should put the court date fifteen (15) days on the first Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. If defendant has no other pending felonies the DA will set ninety (90) days to be screened provided the defendant is not in custody.

If the defendant has a first appearance, it will be up to the ADA, in courtroom 2-C, to make sure the court date is on the first Tuesday or Thursday four weeks after arrest.

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DEFENDANTS WHO CALL AND FAIL ON ADMIN DAY
If the defendant fails to appear on admin day, one of two options must occur:

1. If the defendant is arrested for the failure to appear and he/she are unable to post a bond, then the administrative process will take place at the defendant’s first appearance.

2. If the defendant is given a written promise to appear or posts a bond, the next court date should be the first available administrative court date.

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This new system is designed to make court more efficient in getting cases heard and keeping dockets under control. It is going to take patience and teamwork for this to be a success. There will be kinks to work out but in time it will be a good system for all of us.

On behalf of the District Attorney’s Office, I would like to thank everyone for their input and cooperation. I look forward to a great year in District Court.

R. Stuart Albright
 

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