Frequently Asked Questions About Your Legal Case

North Carolina uses a system called E-Courts. Please follow this link to search for your case and pending court dates in the system: https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/.  Once you click this link, choose the Smart Search icon and it will take through a quick confirmation that you are human, and will take you to the search criteria page. The easiest way to search is by your case number(s) (e.g. 26CR123456-910), or you can search by your name (last name, first name). If you have a problem finding your case, please call our office for assistance. For those of your who have DVPO cases, you will not be able to search for your case in this system. If we have been retained for your case, then you can call our office at 919-526-7545 to confirm your next court date, or you will need call the specific County Clerk of Court office. For Wake County Clerk of Superior Court, please call 919-792-4000. If your case is another county, please call that county’s Clerk of Superior Courts office. Telephone numbers of each office can be found via this link: https://www.nccourts.gov/locations.   Click on your county, and then on the county page, click on Contact Directory.

Once your retain Chris, we will let you know in advance if you have to attend court. Normally, if your case is in disposition court (i.e., Wake County Courtroom 101), then you do not have to appear. Depending on the severity of your case, and if you have signed a Waiver of Appearance, most District Court cases Chris can attend for you.  You will have to attend District Court for felony level cases, all Superior Court cases, and some more severe misdemeanor cases, unless Chris has specifically told you that you do not need to attend court.  If you live more than 2 hours from the courthouse where your case is heard, and/or live out of the state, please discuss attendance options with Chris. Just to be clear, having to work is not an acceptable excuse for the court for you to miss a required court date. Also, you have an illness that does not allow you to make the court date, then you need to provide some form of proof that you cannot attend from a medical professional prior to the court date.

Making a good first impression on the judge can help your case. Chris advises his male clients to wear a collared shirt tucked into the pants. He advises his female clients to avoid short shorts, short skirts, and tank tops. He also suggests that all of his clients should not wear sandals. The defendant’s dress is especially important if Chris is trying your case, but generally will not make a difference for quick administrative matters.

All criminal and traffic cases in Wake County take place at the Wake County Justice Center. It is located at 300 S. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601. Wake County Civil DVPO cases are heard at the Wake County Courthouse located at 316 Fayetteville St., Raleigh, NC 27601. Cases for Orange County normally take place in the Orange County Courthouse located at 106 E. Margaret Ln, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Occasionally, Orange County cases are heard in the Chapel Hill Courthouse (indicated by CH in the courtroom number), which is located at 179 E Franklin St., Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Cases for Johnston County take place in the Johnston County Courthouse located at 207 E. Johnston St, Smithfield, NC 27577.  Cases for Chatham County normally take place at the Chatham County Courthouse located at 40 E Chatham St, Pittsboro, NC 27312. Occassionally, Chatham County cases are heard in the Siler City Courthouse (indicated by DCSC) located at 311 N 2nd Ave, Siler City, NC 27344.

The best place to park for the Wake County Justice Center or the Wake County Courthouse is the Wake County Parking Deck located at 216 W. Cabarrus Street, Raleigh, NC 27601. You can enter this deck either from W. Cabarrus Street or from W. Davie Street. While the area around the Wake County Justice Center does have parking meters on the street, it is easier to park in a nearby parking deck, so you do not have to leave to put more money in the meter. Most other county courthouses have on-site parking.

You can obtain this information on the court’s website approximately one week before your court date by clicking the information in the FAQ – “When Is My Court Date” above.

If you retain Chris and your case is set in Wake County disposition court (Courtroom 101), Chris will appear on your behalf anytime between 8:15 am and 3:30 pm.

If you retain Chris, and Chris has noted you need to be in court, we will notify you of the time and courtroom. If your case is set in Wake County District Court (Courtrooms 201 through 204 and 301 through 304), then you should be present in the courtroom at either 9:00 am or 2:00 pm depending on whether your case is set in the morning or afternoon. Most other counties require you to be in court at 9:00 am.

If your case is set in Superior Court, then the rules for when to appear vary. If Chris has noted you need to be in court, we will notify of you of the time and courtroom. Given the importance of cases in Superior Court, please contact us at 919-526-7545 to ensure that you arrive in the correct location at the correct time.

You should go to the courtroom where your case is set. You can obtain this information on the court’s website approximately one week before your court date by clicking the information in the FAQ – “When Is My Court Date” above.

Once in the courthouse, there is usually a marquis, showing who is in what courtroom and at what time. In the Wake County Justice Center, you can determine the correct courtroom by checking the scrolling screens outside of Room 1000 and looking for the Defendant’s last name.

You also should text 919-526-7545 to let us know that you have arrived in court.

Chris has cases scheduled in multiple courtrooms each session of court, so it is impossible for him to be in every courtroom for every calendar call.  The court schedules everybody at the same time and tells the attorneys when to go for each case. Please wait in your assigned courtroom. If they call your name before Chris is in the courtroom, tell the judge that Christopher Detwiler is your attorney and that he will be there soon. If you have any questions or concerns, you can call 919-526-7545.

If they call your name before Chris is in the courtroom, tell the judge that Christopher Detwiler is your attorney and that he will be there soon. Although Chris’s name often is already on the file and on the docket, saying his last name informs the Assistant District Attorney that he represents you, and it ensures that no one will talk to you about anything significant until he arrives. If you have any questions or concerns, you can call 919-526-7545.

Since he almost always has cases set in multiple courtrooms each session, he will have to move from one courtroom to the next as he handles his client’s cases. The court schedules everybody at the same time and tells the attorneys when to go for each case. There are also many other factors that affect which courtroom’s cases he will handle first, such as who checked in with him, who is in court for the first time, which cases involve outside witnesses, which clients are in custody, and which courtroom is the busiest. He often will have judges and Assistant District Attorneys calling him to specific courtrooms to handle certain cases as well. Chris does not have control over when he can get to your case.

Overall, Chris tries to move his clients out of court as quickly as he can without undermining the results in their cases. He also understands that attending court often means missing work or school, so he tries to handle everything as efficiently as possible. If your court session is at 9 am, please plan on being in court the rest of the morning due to how the court schedules all cases at the same time. Occasionally, your case may be postponed until the afternoon. If your court session is scheduled for 2 pm, please plan on staying until 5 pm. Chris does not have control over when he can get to your case.

Chris’s clients are often nervous about having to talk in court, but generally, Chris does all the talking, which is why you hired him. There are times, however, when his clients may have to answer some simple questions, such as, “Who is your attorney?” or “Do you understand the terms of your deferral?” There also are times when his clients offering a sincere apology or explaining the situation to the judge may make a significant difference in the outcome of the case. Although you never will be required to say anything, Chris will let you know if he thinks it will help, and he will always be there to guide you in your statement if needed.

Morning and afternoon sessions typically last anywhere from two to four hours. Chris often resolves some cases within a matter of minutes, but it all depends on how busy he or the court is that day, and on the circumstances of your case. If your court session is at 9 am, please plan on being in court the rest of the morning due to how the court schedules all cases at the same time. Occasionally, your case may be postponed until the afternoon. If your court session is scheduled for 2 pm., please plan on staying until 5 pm. The court prioritizes which cases are heard and what rooms the attorneys are to attend first. Chris does not have control over when he can get to your case.

One of our paralegals will send you invoices regularly indicating how much you have paid, how much you owe, and when the next payment is due. You also will receive an electronic receipt each time you make a payment. The total fee is outlined in the Engagement Letter that you signed as well. With all this information, you should be able to check your records to determine the balance, but please feel free to call one of Chris’s paralegals at 919-526-7545 for additional details.

You will receive an invoice explaining the details of what you owe and when. That invoice will have a link on how to pay via credit or debit card. You can also pay directly via credit or debit card by clicking Make a Payment under the About Section on our website, or clicking this link: https://secure.lawpay.com/pages/detwilerlaw/operating. Please put the client’s name in the reference field.

You may mail or drop off a certified or cashiers check, or money order. Additionally, you can bring cash payments to our office. An updated invoice showing this payment will be sent via email within one business day.

We will send you an email with the outcome for your case and instructions on how to pay your court costs, if they are required as part of your outcome. Do not pay court costs before your case is resolved and we instruct you on how and when. While most court costs will not be avaialbe for payment until the case is resolved, traffic cases will be. If you pay traffic court costs before the case is resolved, you are pleading guilty, and Chris cannot work to get a better outcome.

You can use the following links to pay the court costs, fines, and fees in your case(s). Under search type, choose case number from the drop down menu. Under search criteria, enter your case number:  https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/Home/Dashboard/17. 

The court’s website accepts credit and debit cards. The only information that you need is the case number for your case, which if you do not know, you can check the case details in the email we sent you, you can call our office, or you can call the Wake County Clerk of Superior Court at 919-792-4000. If your case is another county, please call that county’s Clerk of Superior Court office. Telephone numbers of each office can be found via this link: https://www.nccourts.gov/locations.   Click on your county and then on the county page click on Contact Directory.

The best way to communicate is through our office, either via text or calling our office phone at 919-526-7545. You can also email us at admin@detwilerlaw.com. Please do not text Chris’s cell directly unless he has requested you to do so. Due to the volume of texts Chris receives in a day, your text may be missed. Texting our office directly makes sure it will be timely addressed.

When in court, please communicate via text. It is difficult to call and emails are sometimes delayed.

You can complete the hours at ANY non-profit (501-C) of your choice. These hours cannot be completed online, nor can they be completed at your place of worship. We have provided a link to a search engine below where you can type in organizations to check and see if they are, indeed, non-profit. This link will include all non-profit organizations, not just organizations located in North Carolina. When you click on this link, it will take you to an IRS page. Once on that page, click on the Tax-Exempt Organization Tool. On the next page that comes up, click Search for Tax Exempt Organizations. This will take you to a page that will allow you to search for a specific organization you want to work with or just search for all in a specific city and/or state.

Approved Non-Profits

Once you complete your hours, have the organization you completed them through write a short letter on their letterhead stating your name and how many hours you completed. They can email it to chris@detwilerlaw.com, or they can email it to you, and you can forward it to us. 

One of the places that always has openings, is the ReStores, who are home improvement thrift stores that sell new and used furniture, building materials, appliances and household goods at discounted prices. The proceeds benefit Habitat’s mission to build safe, affordable homes in the community. The ReStores provide an excellent opportunity for you to secure community service hours while volunteering for a great cause! Please see the details on how to sign up with them below.  

Community service volunteers must apply on our website before volunteering:  https://trianglerestores.org/volunteer. Select “Court-Ordered/Attorney-Recommended Community Service Application”, create an account, and upload documentation (court referral, letter from attorney, etc.) that clearly states the charges they face. Once the application is reviewed, applicants will receive an email. 

• Please note: They do not allow volunteers with violent, sexual, theft/shoplifting/larceny, or firearm-related charges. 

• They have 10 ReStore locations across Durham, Johnston, Orange, and Wake Counties. All have availability for community service. 

• They are open 6 days a week, Monday through Saturday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. 4-hour and 8-hour shifts are available. 

• They provide community service volunteers with a signed timesheet on their letterhead upon completion.