Criminal court in Carteret County starts at 9:30 a.m. at the courthouse in Beaufort, and you cannot bring a phone or a bag inside. There is one courthouse for the whole county, at 300 Courthouse Square. Whether you were charged in Morehead City, Newport, Atlantic Beach or anywhere else in the county, this is where you go.
Leave your phone and your bag in the car. No phones, no purses, no backpacks. This catches people out constantly, and the walk back to the car is the last thing you need on a morning you are already anxious about. Take your keys, your ID and your paperwork.
Hancock Law Firm, PLLC · 601-A Cedar St, Beaufort, NC 28516
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Before you go
| Where | Carteret County Courthouse, 300 Courthouse Square, Beaufort, NC 28516. It is the only courthouse in the county. |
|---|---|
| When | Court starts at 9:30 a.m. Get there early enough to park, get through the door and find the right courtroom. |
| Parking | Free, around the courthouse and along the side streets in Beaufort. |
| What not to bring | Phones, purses, bags. Leave them in the vehicle. |
| What to wear | Dress like it is important. No shorts, no flip flops. Business attire, or as close to it as you have, is never the wrong call. |
Dress expectations can vary with the judge and the time of year, which is exactly why it is worth erring upward. Nobody has ever been criticised for looking like they took the morning seriously.
What the courtroom looks like
Knowing the geography of the room takes some of the anxiety out of walking into it:
- The judge sits front and center, usually with clerks to one side.
- The district attorney sits at the front right.
- Defense attorneys are generally along the left side of the courtroom.
- Everyone else sits in the gallery until their name is called.
Calendar call
The district attorney calls the calendar. When that happens is not fixed: sometimes it is the first thing in the morning, sometimes it comes at the end, depending on the size of the docket, the judge, and how the day is running. So you wait, and you pay attention for your name.
Plan for the whole day, not an appointment
Court lasts however long it lasts. Some days a docket has a hundred cases on it, some days it is closer to four hundred. A judge may be splitting time between courtrooms, may only be sitting for part of the day, or may have to be somewhere else by a set time.
Practically, that means you should not schedule anything else that morning, and you should tell work you may be gone the whole day. Sometimes it is quick. You cannot count on it being quick.
If you have not hired a lawyer yet
The first court date is usually where the judge asks what you intend to do about a lawyer. If you say you are hiring one, you are generally given a continuance to seek counsel, which is to say more time to get representation in place before anything substantive happens.
That is a real option, and it is better than showing up a second time with the same answer. If you are going to hire someone, the useful thing is to start before that date rather than after it.
If you are thinking about handling it yourself
Joel Hancock’s honest view, and he says it to people on the phone regularly: if you decide to go to court and represent yourself, you do so at your own risk. It is not necessarily an in-and-out procedure. On some charges, and with a clean record, that may be a perfectly reasonable choice, and he will tell you when he thinks it is. On others it is not, and the difference is worth a free phone call before your court date rather than after it.
What it costs to have him there
Flat fee, quoted before you hire him, with a payment plan available in most cases. Whether he can handle a given charge without you being present depends on the charge and the circumstances, so ask. See what a defense costs.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bring my phone into the Carteret County Courthouse?
No. Phones are not allowed inside, and neither are purses or bags. Leave them in your vehicle and take only your keys, your ID and your paperwork.
What time does court start in Carteret County?
9:30 a.m. at the courthouse in Beaufort. Arrive early enough to park and find your courtroom, and plan for the possibility of being there most of the day.
Where do I park at the courthouse in Beaufort?
Parking is free around the courthouse and along the side streets in Beaufort. Give yourself a few extra minutes on a heavy court morning.
What should I wear to court?
Dress like it is important. No shorts and no flip flops. Business attire, or the closest you have to it, is never the wrong choice, though expectations vary with the judge and the season.
What happens if I do not have a lawyer at my first court date?
The judge will generally ask what you intend to do about counsel. If you say you are hiring an attorney, you are usually given a continuance to seek counsel, which gives you more time before anything substantive happens.
Talk to Joel before your court date
Call 252-515-1516 or send the details below. The first conversation is free and confidential, and it is more useful before your court date than after it.
This page is general information about the firm’s practice, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Court practice and courthouse rules can change; confirm anything here before relying on it.