Orange County NC Website
19 <br /> COUNTY COMMUNITY-BASED CORRECTIONS PLAN <br /> SECITON C--DATA FORM <br /> Provide a flowchart of the local criminal justice system(s). Also provide a description of <br /> the system in narrative form. This flow chart and narrative must be provided regardless <br /> of the format used for reporting other data. <br /> When an offense is committed a law enforcement officer may intervene or a <br /> civilian may report the incident directly to the magistrate. If a law enforcement officer is <br /> involved, he/she may choose no intervention, refer the individual to a community service <br /> or issue a citation. There is no data to determine the frequency with which these actions <br /> are taken in Orange and Chatham Counties, except as it relates to citations. Available <br /> data indicates that citations are rarely issued except in the case of motor vehicle offenses. <br /> In these two counties, law enforcement officers generally take offenders into custody and <br /> the offender is taken to the magistrate's office. The magistrate's response to a civilian <br /> complaint or law enforcement officer is to issue no warrant, refer the offender to a <br /> community service, issue a summons or release the offender on personal recognizance or <br /> bail/bond. There is no third party supervision or pre-trial release program offered <br /> through the magistrate's office in Orange and Chatham Counties. An offender may also <br /> be taken into custody and placed in jail from the magistrate's office. <br /> An offender who is charged with a felony is scheduled for a "first appearance" <br /> hearing within 72 hours of being charged. At "first appearance", an offender charged <br /> with a felony may be released on personal recognizance or bail/bond or tried and <br /> released. If the offender is unable to make bond or is not otherwise released, he/she <br /> remains in jail. If an offender charged with a felony is bound over for trial, then pre- <br /> trial motions are held. At the pre-trial motion stage, an offender charged with a felony <br /> may remain free on personal recognizance or bond and if not released, he/she remains in <br /> jail. Probable cause hearings are held next for an offender charged with a felony. At <br /> the probable cause hearing, no probable cause may be found and the offender is <br /> released. If probable cause is found, the offender remains free on personal recognizance <br /> or bond and if he /she is unable to be released, the offender remains in jail. An offender <br /> charged with a felony is taken before the Grand Jury following a probable cause hearing. <br /> The Grand Jury may return no true bill of indictment and the offender is released. If a <br /> true bill of indictment is returned, the offender remains free on personal recognizance or <br /> bond and if he/she is unable to be released they remain in jail. After the Grand Jury <br /> proceedings, an arraignment is held, after which an offender continues free on bond or <br /> personal recognizance or is confined to jail. Following arraignment, pre-trial motions are <br /> again held, with the offender being free or jailed until trial. At trial, an offender may be <br /> found not guilty or the case is dismissed. The offender may also be given a non-jail <br /> sentence or receive an active jail sentence. The offender may appeal a sentence, <br /> remaining free on bond or personal recognizance or confined to jail until the appeal is <br /> heard. The sentence may be overturned on appeal or the sentence is upheld and the <br /> offender serves the sentence. Upon completion of the sentence, the offender is released. <br />