{"data":{"id":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-15a-1221","jurisdiction":"us-nc","citation":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1221","heading":"Order of proceedings in jury trial; reading of indictment prohibited.","body":"(a)\tThe order of a jury trial, in general, is as follows:\n(1)\tRepealed by Session Laws 1995 (Regular Session 1996), c. 725, s. 10.\n(1a)\tUnless the defendant has filed a written request for an arraignment, the court must enter a not guilty plea on behalf of the defendant in accordance with G.S. 15A-941. If a defendant does file a written request for an arraignment, then the defendant must be arraigned and must have his or her plea recorded out of the presence of the prospective jurors in accordance with G.S. 15A-941.\n(2)\tThe judge must inform the prospective jurors of the case in accordance with G.S. 15A-1213.\n(3)\tThe jury must be sworn, selected and impaneled in accordance with Article 72, Selecting and Impaneling the Jury.\n(4)\tEach party must be given the opportunity to make a brief opening statement, but the defendant may reserve his opening statement.\n(5)\tThe State must offer evidence.\n(6)\tThe defendant may offer evidence and, if he has reserved his opening statement, may precede his evidence with that statement.\n(7)\tThe State and the defendant may then offer successive rebuttals as provided in G.S. 15A-1226.\n(8)\tAt the conclusion of the evidence, the parties may make arguments to the jury in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 15A-1230.\n(9)\tThe judge must deliver a charge to the jury in accordance with the provisions of G.S. 15A-1231 and 15A-1232.\n(10)\tThe jury must retire to deliberate.\n(b)\tAt no time during the selection of the jury or during trial may any person read the indictment to the prospective jurors or to the jury. (1977, c. 711, s. 1; 1977, 2nd Sess., c. 1147, s. 2; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 725, s. 10; 2021-94, s. 2.)","path":["Chapter 15A. Criminal Procedure Act.","SUBCHAPTER XII. TRIAL PROCEDURE IN SUPERIOR COURT.","Article 73. Criminal Jury Trial in Superior Court."],"source_url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_15A/GS_15A-1221.html","current_through":"S.L. 2026-30","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T17:56:42Z","sha256":"b92af41b71dc41aebeec10a4f0c998ddf6c6bc6143eda3d1f735ffbc401dc293","source_id":"us-nc","stale":false,"prev":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-15a-1218-through-15a-1220","next":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-15a-1222"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}