The District Attorney’s Office is committed to seeking justice for crime victims and protecting the community. The DA’s Misdemeanor Team, which prosecutes more than 200,000 misdemeanor and traffic offenses each year, works every day to make Mecklenburg County a safer place to live, work and raise a family.

If you are the victim of a misdemeanor offense, an Assistant District Attorney will speak with you about the case in the courtroom on the day of the defendant’s court date. Please see the frequently asked questions below for more information about your role in the case.

Misdemeanor cases are tried in Mecklenburg County District Court. If a defendant enters a plea of not guilty, the case will proceed to trial in District Court, where a judge will issue a verdict of guilty or not guilty. (There are no jury trials for criminal cases in District Court.) If a judge finds the defendant guilty, the defendant may appeal the decision for a jury trial in Superior Court, as allowed under North Carolina law.

Citizens Court, also known as private warrant court, is utilized for cases in which victims go to a magistrate and file misdemeanor charges against another person. In Citizens Court, which is held in courtroom 4330, the victim and the defendant attempt to achieve a resolution with the help of mediators provided by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Dispute Settlement Program. This court aims to help the parties, who are often neighbors or family members, address underlying issues through mediation. Citizens Court also allows the DA’s Office to more efficiently prosecute and resolve cases involving private warrants. If you have gone before a magistrate to obtain a private warrant, the case may be assigned to Citizens Court. Please follow up with the DA’s Office or the Clerk of Court’s Office regarding your court date. Citizens Court will not hear serious or violent misdemeanors, such as domestic violence cases, sexual battery, incidents that involve serious injuries or incidents that involve victims who are children.

ATTENTION ALL VICTIMS AND WITNESSES: If your address or phone number has changed since that information was provided to police and there has been an arrest in your case, please immediately call the DA’s Office at 704-686-0700 and provide the new information. If the police have not yet made an arrest, please continue to keep the police (not the DA’s Office) updated with your contact information. Visit our helpful links for contact information for law enforcement agencies in Mecklenburg County and North Carolina.