(a) Except as provided in this Article, the district court has exclusive, original jurisdiction for the trial of criminal actions, including municipal ordinance violations, below the grade of felony, and the same are hereby declared to be petty misdemeanors.
(b) The district court has jurisdiction to conduct preliminary examinations and to bind the accused over for trial upon waiver of preliminary examination or upon a finding of probable cause, making appropriate orders as to bail or commitment.
(c) When the prosecutor and defendant consent, the district court has jurisdiction to accept a defendant's plea of guilty or no contest to a Class H or I felony if one of the following criteria is met:
(1) The defendant is charged with a felony in an information filed pursuant to G.S. 15A-644.1, the felony is pending in district court, and the defendant has not been indicted for the offense.
(2) The defendant has been indicted for a criminal offense but the defendant's case is transferred from superior court to district court pursuant to G.S. 15A-1029.1.
The chief district court judge may schedule and assign sessions of court to accept pleas of guilty or no contest pursuant to this subsection, and the district attorney shall cause agreed-upon pleas to be calendared for these sessions.
(d) Provisions in Chapter 15A of the General Statutes apply to a plea authorized under subsection (c) of this section as if the plea had been entered in superior court, so that a district court judge is authorized to act in these matters in the same manner as a superior court judge would be authorized to act if the plea had been entered in superior court, and appeals that are authorized in these matters are to the appellate division.
(e) With the consent of the chief district court judge and the senior resident superior court judge, the district court has jurisdiction to preside over the supervision of a probation judgment entered in superior court in which the defendant is required to participate in a local judicially managed accountability and recovery court program pursuant to G.S. 15A-1343(b1)(2b) or is participating in a local judicially managed accountability and recovery court program pursuant to a deferred prosecution agreement under G.S. 15A-1341(a2) or the terms of a conditional discharge under G.S. 15A-1341(a5). The district court may modify or extend the probation judgment, but jurisdiction to revoke probation supervised under this subsection is as provided in G.S. 7A-271(f).
(f) Repealed by Session Laws 2022-6, s. 8.2(b), effective March 17, 2022. (1965, c. 310, s. 1; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 725, ss. 1, 2; 2009-452, s. 2; 2009-516, s. 8(a), (b); 2010-96, s. 26(b); 2010-97, s. 13; 2014-119, s. 2(b); 2022-6, s. 8.2(b); 2023-97, s. 3(a).)
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
74
cases (
4 in the last 5 years), 1968–2026 · leading case:
State v. Hooper, 591 S.E.2d 514 (N.C. 2004).
State v. Hooper, 591 S.E.2d 514 (N.C. 2004).
· cites it 30× “N.C.G.S. § 7A-272 provides, in relevant part: (c) With the consent of the presiding district court judge, the prosecutor, and the defendant, the district court has jurisdiction to accept a defendant’s plea of guilty or no contest to a Class H or I felony if: (1) The defendant is…”
State v. Hooper, 582 S.E.2d 331 (N.C. Ct. App. 2003).
· cites it 34× “*333 (d) Provisions in Chapter 15A of the General Statutes apply to a plea authorized under subsection (c) of this section as if the plea had been entered in superior court, so that a district court judge is authorized to act in these matters in the same manner as a superior…”
State v. Petersilie, 432 S.E.2d 832 (N.C. 1993).
· cites it 12× “N.C.G.S. § 7A-272 (1989). The superior court has jurisdiction to try a misdemeanor charge: (1) Which is a lesser included offense of a felony on which an indictment has been returned, or a felony information as to which an indictment has been properly waived; or *836 (2) When…”
State v. Corbett, 661 S.E.2d 759 (N.C. Ct. App. 2008).
· cites it 12× “On appeal, the defendant claimed that the district court had exclusive jurisdiction over his case pursuant to N.C. Gen.Stat. § 7A-272. Id. at 623, 433 S.”
State v. Curtis, 817 S.E.2d 187 (N.C. 2018).
· cites it 4× “" Compare N.C.G.S. § 7A-272(a) (Supp. 1965), with id.”
State v. Jones, 805 S.E.2d 701 (N.C. Ct. App. 2017).
· cites it 4× “” The district court division has “exclusive, original jurisdiction” of misdemeanors, N.C. Gen Stat. § 7A-272(a) (2015), while superior courts, with limited exception, have “exclusive, original jurisdiction over all criminal actions not assigned to the district court division[.”
State v. Williams, 684 S.E.2d 898 (N.C. Ct. App. 2009).
· cites it 10× “N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272 provides: With the consent of the presiding district court judge, the prosecutor, and the defendant, the district court has jurisdiction to accept a defendant’s plea of guilty or no contest to a Class H or I felony if: (1) The defendant is charged with a…”
Williams v. Florida, 399 U.S. 78 (1970).
· cites it 2× “2d 836 (1969); N. C. Gen. Stat. §§ 7A-272 (a), 7A-196 (b), 14-3 (1969).”
State v. Moore, 807 S.E.2d 550 (N.C. 2017).
· cites it 2× “— Jurisdiction to supervise, modify, and revoke probation imposed in cases in which the offender is required to participate in a drug treatment court or a therapeutic court is as provided in G.S. 7A-272(e) and G.S. 7A-271(f). Proceedings to modify or revoke probation in these…”
State v. Jones, 819 S.E.2d 340 (N.C. 2018).
· cites it 3× “2d 708 , 710 (1981) (citing N.C.G.S. § 7A-272 ) ). The criminal pleading that initiated proceedings against defendant in the present case is a citation.”
State v. Trent, 614 S.E.2d 498 (N.C. 2005).
· cites it 6× “, N.C.G.S. § 7A-272 (2003) (giving the district court original jurisdiction over most misdemeanors).”
State v. Bass, 186 S.E.2d 384 (N.C. 1972).
· cites it 3× “G.S. 7A-272 (b) confers jurisdiction on the district court “to conduct preliminary examinations and to bind the accused over for trial .”
— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272(2) — 3 cases
State v. Petersilie, 432 S.E.2d 832 (N.C. 1993).
“N.C.G.S. § 7A-272 (1989). The superior court has jurisdiction to try a misdemeanor charge: (1) Which is a lesser included offense of a felony on which an indictment has been returned, or a felony information as to which an indictment has been properly waived; or *836 (2) When…”
— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272(a) — 25 cases
State v. Curtis, 817 S.E.2d 187 (N.C. 2018).
“" Compare N.C.G.S. § 7A-272(a) (Supp. 1965), with id.”
State v. Jones, 805 S.E.2d 701 (N.C. Ct. App. 2017).
“” The district court division has “exclusive, original jurisdiction” of misdemeanors, N.C. Gen Stat. § 7A-272(a) (2015), while superior courts, with limited exception, have “exclusive, original jurisdiction over all criminal actions not assigned to the district court division[.”
State v. Corbett, 661 S.E.2d 759 (N.C. Ct. App. 2008).
“On appeal, the defendant claimed that the district court had exclusive jurisdiction over his case pursuant to N.C. Gen.Stat. § 7A-272. Id. at 623, 433 S.”
— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272(b) — 4 cases
State v. Bass, 186 S.E.2d 384 (N.C. 1972).
“G.S. 7A-272 (b) confers jurisdiction on the district court “to conduct preliminary examinations and to bind the accused over for trial .”
— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272(c) — 3 cases
State v. Hooper, 591 S.E.2d 514 (N.C. 2004).
“N.C.G.S. § 7A-272 provides, in relevant part: (c) With the consent of the presiding district court judge, the prosecutor, and the defendant, the district court has jurisdiction to accept a defendant’s plea of guilty or no contest to a Class H or I felony if: (1) The defendant is…”
State v. Williams, 684 S.E.2d 898 (N.C. Ct. App. 2009).
“N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272 provides: With the consent of the presiding district court judge, the prosecutor, and the defendant, the district court has jurisdiction to accept a defendant’s plea of guilty or no contest to a Class H or I felony if: (1) The defendant is charged with a…”
— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272(c)(1) — 1 case
State v. Williams, 684 S.E.2d 898 (N.C. Ct. App. 2009).
“N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272 provides: With the consent of the presiding district court judge, the prosecutor, and the defendant, the district court has jurisdiction to accept a defendant’s plea of guilty or no contest to a Class H or I felony if: (1) The defendant is charged with a…”
— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272(d) — 4 cases
State v. Hooper, 591 S.E.2d 514 (N.C. 2004).
“N.C.G.S. § 7A-272 provides, in relevant part: (c) With the consent of the presiding district court judge, the prosecutor, and the defendant, the district court has jurisdiction to accept a defendant’s plea of guilty or no contest to a Class H or I felony if: (1) The defendant is…”
State v. Hooper, 582 S.E.2d 331 (N.C. Ct. App. 2003).
“*333 (d) Provisions in Chapter 15A of the General Statutes apply to a plea authorized under subsection (c) of this section as if the plea had been entered in superior court, so that a district court judge is authorized to act in these matters in the same manner as a superior…”
State v. Williams, 684 S.E.2d 898 (N.C. Ct. App. 2009).
“N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272 provides: With the consent of the presiding district court judge, the prosecutor, and the defendant, the district court has jurisdiction to accept a defendant’s plea of guilty or no contest to a Class H or I felony if: (1) The defendant is charged with a…”
— N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-272(e) — 1 case
State v. Moore, 807 S.E.2d 550 (N.C. 2017).
“— Jurisdiction to supervise, modify, and revoke probation imposed in cases in which the offender is required to participate in a drug treatment court or a therapeutic court is as provided in G.S. 7A-272(e) and G.S. 7A-271(f). Proceedings to modify or revoke probation in these…”
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