Rule 6 - Negotiated Plea Offers6.1 Unless the District Attorney decides not to make a negotiated plea offer in a particular case, the District Attorney should make every effort to extend a written plea offer to defense counsel of record no later than six (6) weeks after the initiation date of a case. In most cases, if a negotiated plea offer was extended and rejected in H&I court, a new plea offer will not be extended.6.2 Defense counsel of record has a responsibility to convey all negotiated plea offers to the defendant as soon as reasonably possible.6.3 Except in those cases in which the defendant is in the custody of the N.C. Department of Correction or of another county or state, defense counsel shall respond to the State's negotiated plea offer no later than four (4) weeks from the time it is received. If defense counsel fails to respond to a negotiated plea offer, the plea offer shall be deemed withdrawn.6.4 With the consent of the Court, the parties may confer with the Court regarding the terms of a negotiated plea offer. The Court may conduct a plea conference, if, in the opinion of the Court, such a conference is supported by the interest of justice.6.5 If either party discovers that it is unable to fulfill an understanding previously agreed upon in plea negotiations, that party shall give prompt notice to the Court and to the other party.N.C. R. Prac. Sup. & Dist. Ct. Civ. P. 6
Adopted April 8, 2022, effective 4/8/2022.