Initial Appearances Before North Carolina Magistrates

This bulletin outlines the steps that magistrates must make while conducting initial appearances, starting with whether to begin or delay the proceeding when the defendant is first brought in. Topics covered include establishing probable cause, navigating procedures for offenses involving impaired driving, determining eligibility and conditions for pretrial release, conducting citizenship inquiries, and other considerations that arise in initial appearances. Appendixes provide quick references on pretrial release conditions, crimes classified as violent offenses under Iryna's Law, reportable sex crimes, and offenses that require the magistrate to make DNA collection a condition of pretrial release.