N.C. Gen. Stat. » Chapter 160A
NC General Statutes

N.C. Gen. Stat. § 160A-80 (2026)

Power of investigation; subpoena power

✓ current as of July 2026
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(a) The council shall have power to investigate the affairs of the city, and for that purpose may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths, and compel the production of evidence.

(b) If a person fails or refuses to obey a subpoena issued pursuant to this section, the council may apply to the General Court of Justice for an order requiring that its order be obeyed, and the court shall have jurisdiction to issue these orders after notice to all proper parties.  No testimony of any witness before the council pursuant to a subpoena issued in exercise of the power conferred by this section may be used against him on the trial of any civil or criminal action other than a prosecution for false swearing committed on the examination.  If any person, while under oath at an investigation by the council, willfully swears falsely, he is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

(c) Repealed by Session Laws 1991, c. 512, s. 1. (1971, c. 698, s. 1; 1991, c. 512, s. 1; 1993, c. 539, s. 1083; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)

 

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 1 case, 1975–1975 · leading case: Leak v. High Point City Council, 213 S.E.2d 386 (N.C. Ct. App. 1975).
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Leak v. High Point City Council, 213 S.E.2d 386 (N.C. Ct. App. 1975). “This case involves the right of city councils to “investigate the affairs of the city,” to subpoena witnesses and compel the production of evidence to carry out that function as provided by G.S. 160A-80; and further involves the right of the city councils to “adopt reasonable…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.