S303 - Various Court Changes. (SL 2024-33)

Overview: S.L. 2024-33 makes various changes and technical corrections to the laws governing various aspects of the courts, including the following:

• Clarifies clerk retention of an adoption petition does not have to be the original petition.
• Removes the restriction that prevented filing briefs and memoranda with the clerk unless ordered by the court.
• Establishes venue in Wake County for business court cases, but retains trials in the county of origin. This provision becomes effective when the North Carolina Business Court implements an electronic filing system.
• Authorizes clerks of court to set conditions of pretrial release under the same circumstances as magistrates. This provision becomes effective, and applies to defendants arrested on or after, October 1, 2024.
• Establishes a safe babies court to hear certain juvenile abuse, neglect, and dependency matters.
• Authorizes the Supreme Court to hold sessions in any location across the State until December 31, 2026.
• Allows respondent's attorney and certain judges access to involuntary commitment court files, and authorizes certain persons to obtain an involuntary commitment court file number for specific purposes.
• Authorizes persons with 8 years of experience as a law enforcement officer in this State to be appointed as a magistrate.
• Changes the number of the license plate issued to the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts to J-99.
• Authorizes grandparents to intervene in a child abuse, neglect, or dependency case if the parents are deceased.
• Makes various other technical changes and corrections to statutes relating to the courts.

This act became effective July 8, 2024. Except as otherwise noted, the provisions of this act became effective on that date.