Missing a court appearance can result in a myriad of consequences including jail booking and license revocations, and an increased strain on limited court and law enforcement resources. In this report, the Statewide Court Appearance Project Committee presents evidence-based solutions and recommendations to promote court appearance and provide alternative system responses to missed appearances in North Carolina. The Committee, composed of North Carolina criminal justice system leaders, was charged with identifying statewide policy solutions that promote court efficiency, protect public safety, address the underlying causes of why some people miss court, and provide options for alternative responses to missed appearances when they occur.
Read the full report here.
Key Findings:
- In North Carolina, 18 percent of criminal cases have at least one missed court date, resulting in at least 250,000 missed hearings per year.
- Most missed appearances occur in low-level cases, with administrative traffic misdemeanor charges accounting for the greatest number of missed court dates.
- Preventing a single missed appearance results in an estimated $2,900 in cost avoidance, when accounting for administrative costs, lost wages and benefits, and additional court costs.
- Non-appearance rates increase as cases age, with a significant increase occurring once a case reaches six months.
- More than one million people had active driver’s license suspensions in 2018; more than 800,000 were solely for missing court.
Strategies and Policy Recommendations to Promote Court Appearance:
- Ensure Efficiency with Every Court Date
- Improve Court Scheduling
- Promote Virtual Court and Online Case Resolution
- Make Court Information More Accessible
- Expand and Enhance Pretrial Services
- Develop and Enhance Court Date Reminders
- Expand the Use of Appearance Waivers
- Provide Resources for High Need Court Users
- Address Ability to Pay Considerations
- Launch Initiatives to Foster Community Trust
Strategies and Policy Recommendations to Promote Alternative System Responses to Non-Appearance:
- Implement Alternatives to the Immediate Issuance of an Order of Arrest (OFA)
- Minimize Appearance Barriers from the Loss of a Driver’s Licenses
- Implement Procedures for the Resolution of OFAs