On Friday, March 13, 2020, Chief Justice Cheri Beasley announced that she will enter an order declaring that catastrophic conditions exist in all North Carolina counties. The order which will be effective on Monday, March 16, 2020, contains two emergency directives to reduce the spread of COVID-19. While the order directs that superior and district court proceedings should be continued for at least 30 days, it contains several exceptions for which the court system will continue to hold hearings.

After analyzing the Chief Justice’s directives and considering the courts’ constitutional duties under Article 1, Section 18, of the North Carolina Constitution that “All courts shall be open; every person…shall have remedy by due course of law; and right and justice shall be administered without favor, denial, or delay” local Wayne County judicial officials have made the following decisions regarding local court proceedings, including civil court, criminal and traffic court, domestic and family law matters, hearings before the clerk, jury matters, and more.

Read the press release for details.