In North Carolina, there are more than 400 criminal laws codified in statues. Criminal cases are heard in both District and Superior Courts. The most serious criminal cases are felonies and those are the cases that most often times result in a possible prison sentence of at least 12 months (one year) or more. These more serious crimes are usually almost always heard in Superior Court. Felony offenses include, among others, breaking and entering, assaults, sale or deliver of controlled substances, forgery, rape, murder, embezzlement, obtaining property by false pretenses, kidnapping, child molestation, involuntary manslaughter and arson.
If a felony case is unable to be resolved in District Court or is not transferred to Superior Court via a bill of information, then jurisdiction in the case will be transferred to Superior Court through the prosecutor submitting the case to the grand jury to return a true bill of indictment. The function of the grand jury is primarily to act upon bills of indictment the District Attorney submits. A bill of indictment is simply a written accusation charging a person with the commission of one or more criminal offenses. Continue reading What is the Role of the Grand Jury?