North Carolina § 7A-61 - Duties of district attorney.

§ 7A-61. Duties of district attorney.

The district attorney shall prepare the trial dockets, prosecute in a timely manner in the name of the State all criminal actions and infractions requiring prosecution in the superior and district courts of the district attorney's prosecutorial district and advise the officers of justice in the district attorney's district. The district attorney shall also represent the State in juvenile cases in the superior and district courts in which the juvenile is represented by an attorney. The district attorney shall provide to the Attorney General any case files, records and additional information necessary for the Attorney General to conduct appeals to the Appellate Division for cases from the district attorney's prosecutorial district. The Attorney General shall not delegate to the district attorney, or any other entity, the duty to represent the State in criminal and juvenile appeals. Each district attorney shall devote his full time to the duties of his office and shall not engage in the private practice of law. History (1967, c. 1049, s. 1; 1969, c. 1190, s. 5; 1971, c. 377, s. 5.1; 1973, c. 47, s. 2; 1985, c. 764, s. 7; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 852, s. 17; 1987 (Reg. Sess., 1988), c. 1037, s. 12; 1999-428, s. 3; 2017-212, s. 5.2(b).) Cross References. - As to interchangeability of terms "solicitor" and "district attorney," see G.S. 7A-66.1. Editor's Note. - Session Laws 2017-212, s. 5.2, which, in subsection (b) of that section, rewrote the first and second sentences, and added the third and fourth sentences, in subsection (c) of that section, provides: "This section is effective July 1, 2017. It shall be the obligation of the Attorney General to work with each District Attorney to ensure that all criminal appeals delegated on or after July 1, 2017, to a District Attorney's office shall be properly returned to the Attorney General's office. Notwithstanding the previous two sentences, actions taken by the office of a District Attorney related to a criminal appeal delegated to that office on or after July 1, 2017, shall be deemed to have been taken with full legal authority to act on behalf of the State." Effect of Amendments. - Session Laws 2017-212, s. 5.2(b), rewrote the first and second sentences, and added the third and fourth sentences. For effective date and applicability, see editor's note.