Conservatives for Criminal Justice ReformSafety, Efficiency, Accountability

Safety, Efficiency, Accountability

Public Safety

Justice in the sunshine

eCourts: A Modern Tool Strengthening Public Safety and Access to Justice in North Carolina

Sep 3, 2025
In an era when transparency and accountability are more important than ever, North Carolina’s eCourts system stands out as one of the most significant advancements in our state’s justice infrastructure in decades. Despite the inevitable quirks of any large-scale modernization effort, the benefits of this online court record system are already clear—and overwhelmingly popular. According […]

eCourts: A Modern Tool Strengthening Public Safety and Access to Justice in North Carolina

by Tarrah Callahan

Justice in the sunshine

In an era when transparency and accountability are more important than ever, North Carolina’s eCourts system stands out as one of the most significant advancements in our state’s justice infrastructure in decades. Despite the inevitable quirks of any large-scale modernization effort, the benefits of this online court record system are already clear—and overwhelmingly popular.

According to recent CCJR polling, support for eCourts modernization in 2024 was sky-high. North Carolinians, regardless of political affiliation, recognize that making our court records accessible online is not only convenient—it’s an essential step toward safer communities and a stronger justice system.

A Game-Changer for Transparency

As the News & Observer’s recent “Guide to Using eCourts” detailed, the platform gives citizens the ability to search police affidavits, lawsuits, arrest warrants, and court dates—all without stepping foot in a courthouse. For years, such access required in-person visits, endless phone calls to clerks’ offices, or expensive third-party databases. Now, with a few clicks, the public can see who’s been charged, when their case will be heard, and what law enforcement agencies are involved.

This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about empowering the people of North Carolina with the same tools journalists, attorneys, and law enforcement officers use. In a free society, informed citizens are the first line of defense against both crime and government overreach.

Justice in the Sunshine

North Carolina’s courts belong to the people. For too long, that principle was limited by outdated systems that made it nearly impossible for the average citizen to follow the paper trail of justice. With eCourts, those days are coming to an end.

Yes, the state must continue improving the speed, completeness, and user-friendliness of the platform. But the trajectory is the right one—and it’s one the public overwhelmingly supports. We should not allow perfection to be the enemy of progress.

By making court information easier to access, eCourts is doing more than modernizing record-keeping. It is reinforcing the foundations of public trust, enabling a better-informed citizenry, and strengthening both safety and justice in our communities.

That is a win for everyone in North Carolina—especially for those committed to the rule of law.

Unfinished Business for the NC Second Chance Act

Jun 7, 2024
** S565 was amended in the House and passed on June 5, 2024. The current version repeals automated expunctions prospectively and retroactively. It was gutted to only allow for District Attorney access while repealing the right to automated expunctions as promised in the NC Second Chance Act.**

Unfinished Business for the NC Second Chance Act

by Tarrah Callahan

** S565 was amended in the House and passed on June 5, 2024. The current version repeals automated expunctions prospectively and retroactively. It was gutted to only allow for District Attorney access while repealing the right to automated expunctions as promised in the NC Second Chance Act.**

Right on Crime and Conservatives for Criminal Justice Reform Support NC S565 without PCS

May 29, 2024
What happened to the promise of NC's Second Chance Act?... Read More →

Right on Crime and Conservatives for Criminal Justice Reform Support NC S565 without PCS

by Tarrah Callahan

Restarting NC’s Second Chance Act

Raleigh, N.C. – Right On Crime, and Conservatives for Criminal Justice Reform, both national criminal justice organizations, support North Carolina’s S565 without PCS (Proposed Committee Substitute). This bill, as originally drafted, would have removed barriers to jobs and housing by restarting the automated expunction of not guilty and dismissed charges and implementing recommendations of a bipartisan, 16-member task force.

Last week, the North Carolina House Judiciary II Committee voted to adopt the Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) of S565. This PCS repeals the automatic record sealing of not guilty and dismissed charges, including the backlog of more than a million eligible cases. 

In 2020, S.L. 2020-35 was signed into law after bipartisan support in both chambers of the NC General Assembly, providing automated expunction of dismissed and not guilty charges beginning December 1, 2021.

Due to logistical challenges, the legislation was paused. A 16-member task force was created with representatives from AOC (Administrative Office of the Courts), the Conference of District Attorneys, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Sheriffs’ Association, and DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles), and offered recommendations including:

  • Lengthening processing of automatic expunctions to 6 months
  • Granting District Attorneys and Clerks of Court access to expunged records
  • Restarting automatic expunctions of not guilty and dismissed charges effective December 1, 2024 (currently July 1, 2024)

North Carolina legislators created S565 – Removing Barriers to Jobs and Housing, intended to allow for the restart of the automated expunction of not guilty and dismissed charges. The original legislation would implement the task force recommendations, as well. To be clear, the original language in S565 did not clear a person’s record. It simply removes the barriers of individuals found not guilty or who had charges dismissed to reenter the workforce without the stigma surrounding a criminal record. The original bill ensured that dismissed felony charges due to a plea agreement were not expunged.

“Any North Carolinian who leaves a courtroom with absolution from a judge or jury should not carry the burden of a criminal record for a lifetime,” says Maggie Horzempa, Right On Crime Director of North Carolina. “An estimated one million of these criminal records are active as citizens apply for jobs or attempt to pass credit checks for housing. S565 is a sound and conservative approach to fortifying North ‘Carolina’s economy.”

“When the Second Chance Act passed, it was touted as a job bill to help North Carolinians get back to work, and the automated record clearance for dismissed/not guilty charges was a critical component,” says Tarrah Callahan, Founder and Executive Director of Conservatives for Criminal Justice Reform. “While the charges addressed in S565 of dismissed/not guilty charges are eligible to be expunged by petition, the process is often very costly and time-consuming, sometimes taking years to conclude. Removing these records from public view allows hundreds of thousands of people to access this relief.”

Right On Crime is a national criminal justice campaign offering conservative and data-driven solutions for reducing crime, restoring victims, reforming offenders, and lowering taxpayer costs.

Conservatives for Criminal Justice Reform is a national and conservative-led criminal justice organization based in Raleigh focused on pragmatic criminal justice solutions.