North Carolina chief justice extends emergency directives until end of May

RALEIGH, N.C. (WAVY) — North Carolina Chief Justice Cheri Beasley announced on Saturday that she has issued an order to extend the state’s emergency directives that were set in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The list of eight directives was initially set to expire 30 days after being put in place on April 2. Beasley stated that there is still a risk of the virus spreading throughout North Carolina and therefore, she has set the new expiration date for May 30.

The order includes that most in-person court proceedings for the superior and district court must be scheduled or rescheduled for a date no sooner than June 1. Exemptions can be found in the complete order but include remote proceedings and those for the purpose of emergency relief.

Included in this is the removal of the consent requirement for remote hearings which were creating issues for courts attempting to schedule teleconference hearings.

“We continue to take steps to increase the services we can safely provide to the public,” said Beasley. “While our task force is hard at work developing plans for the months ahead, it’s important that we remain vigilant about protecting the health and safety of everyone in our courthouses.”