The School of Government published a new publication on pretrial releases and initial appearances. In most cases, a magistrate is the official who preside over an initial appearance. This guide addresses pretrial release only in the context of magistrates’ authority and limitations.
A .pdf of the publication is available here. I also have a printed version that will be available at the District Court Judges’ fall conference, with what I hope will be enough copies for the attending judges to bring back home to their magistrates.
The guide compiles the special initial appearance rules as provided by the North Carolina General Statutes, including guidance on the magistrates’ role in cases covered by the Pretrial Integrity Act, which took effect on October 1, and for cases that will fall within the scope of G.S. The new 15A-534.8 will be effective on December 1, 2015. The resource is divided into six sections. For example, it explains when to delay setting release conditions, set specific conditions or deny release.
Although the guide does…
