Chief Justice Announces Postponement of Many Court Proceedings for 30 Days

Chief Justice Cheri Beasley announced on Friday, December 11, that North Carolina Courts will postpone non-essential, in-person court proceedings for 30 days, beginning Monday, December 14.

The announcement likely means that most cases of evictions for nonpayment will be postponed past the expiration of the CDC Order on December 31st. Forbearance related proceedings would also be delayed until mid-January. .

In addition to today’s announcement, Chief Justice Beasley called a meeting of the Judicial Branch COVID-19 Task Force to discuss emergency directives and policy changes related to the COVID-19 health emergency. The Task Force will meet from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. on December 15, 2020. The media and the public are invited to attend the online meeting via Webex.

To view a list of previous orders from the Chief Justice and the Supreme Court of North Carolina, please visit the continuously updated Coronavirus (COVID-19) announcement page. The public is encouraged to visit NCcourts.gov to find answers to frequently asked questions before calling the local courthouse.  Announcements from local counties about changes to court operations can be found on the county page as well as the closings and advisories page. The public may also visit the Judicial Branch Facebook page and Twitter account to access information related to the coronavirus health concern.