§ 15A-943. Arraignment in superior court – Required calendaring. - North Carolina Statutes

§15A‑943.  Arraignment in superior court –Required calendaring.

(a)        In counties inwhich there are regularly scheduled 20 or more weeks of trial sessions ofsuperior court at which criminal cases are heard, and in other counties theChief Justice designates, the prosecutor must calendar arraignments in thesuperior court on at least the first day of every other week in which criminalcases are heard. No cases in which the presence of a jury is required may becalendared for the day or portion of a day during which arraignments arecalendared.

(b)        When a defendantpleads not guilty at an arraignment required by subsection (a), he may not betried without his consent in the week in which he is arraigned.

(c)        Notwithstanding theprovisions of subsection (a) of this section, in any county where as many asthree simultaneous sessions of superior court, whether criminal, civil, ormixed, are regularly scheduled, the prosecutor may calendar arraignments in anyof the criminal or mixed sessions, at least every other week, upon any day ordays of a session, and jury cases may be calendared for trial in any othercourt at which criminal cases may be heard, upon such days. (1973,c. 1286, s. 1; 1975, c. 166, s. 27; c. 471.)