7A-170. Nature of office and oath; age limit for service. (a) A magistrate is an officer of the district court. Before entering upon the duties of his office, a magistrate shall take the oath of office prescribed for a magistrate of the General Court of Justice. A magistrate possesses all the powers of his office […]
7A-171. Numbers; appointment and terms; vacancies. (a) The General Assembly shall establish a minimum quota of magistrates for each county. In no county shall the minimum quota be less than one. The number of magistrates in a county, above the minimum quota set by the General Assembly, is determined by the Administrative Office of the […]
7A-171.1. (Effective until July 1, 2022) Duty hours, salary, and travel expenses within county. (a) The Administrative Officer of the Courts, after consultation with the chief district judge and pursuant to the following provisions, shall set an annual salary for each magistrate: (1) A full-time magistrate shall be paid the annual salary indicated in the […]
7A-171.2. Qualifications for nomination or renomination. (a) In order to be eligible for nomination or for renomination as a magistrate an individual shall be a resident of the county for which he is appointed. (b) To be eligible for nomination as a magistrate, an individual shall have at least eight years’ experience as the clerk […]
7A-171.3. Magistrate rules of conduct. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall prescribe rules of conduct for all magistrates not inconsistent with the Constitution of the United States or inconsistent with the Constitution of the State of North Carolina. The rules of conduct shall apply to all magistrates and shall include rules governing the following: […]
7A-173. Suspension; removal; reinstatement. (a) A magistrate may be suspended from performing the duties of his office by the chief district judge of the district court district in which his county is located, or removed from office by the senior regular resident superior court judge of, or any regular superior court judge holding court in, […]
7A-174. Bonds. Prior to taking office, magistrates shall be bonded, individually or collectively, in such amount or amounts as the Administrative Officer of the Courts shall determine. The bond or bonds shall be conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of the office of magistrate. The Administrative Officer shall procure such bond or bonds […]
7A-175. Records to be kept. A magistrate shall keep such dockets, accounts, and other records, under the general supervision of the clerk of superior court, as may be prescribed by the Administrative Office of the Courts. (1965, c. 310, s. 1.)
7A-176. Office of justice of the peace abolished. The office of justice of the peace is abolished in each county upon the establishment of a district court therein. (1965, c. 310, s. 1.)
7A-177. Training course in duties of magistrate. (a) Within six months of taking the oath of office as a magistrate for the first time, a magistrate is required to attend and satisfactorily complete a course of basic training of at least 40 hours in the civil and criminal duties of a magistrate. The Administrative Office […]
7A-178. Magistrate as child support hearing officer. A magistrate who meets the qualifications of G.S. 50-39 and is properly designated pursuant to G.S. Chapter 50, Article 2, to serve as a child support hearing officer, may serve in that capacity and has the authority and responsibility assigned to child support hearing officers by Chapter 50. […]
