(a)        Upon receipt of such reports as are provided for in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15-155.1, the district attorney of superior court may make an investigation to determine whether the mother of an out-of-wedlock child or who is a recipient of Work First Family Assistance, has abandoned, is willfully neglecting or is refusing to support and maintain the child within the meaning of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-326 or 49-2 or is diverting any part of the funds received as Work First Family Assistance to any purpose other than for the support and maintenance of a child in violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 108-76.1 In making this investigation the district attorney is authorized to call upon:

(1)        Any county board of social services or the Department of Health and Human Services for personal, clerical or investigative assistance and for access to any records kept by either such board and relating to the matter under investigation and such boards are hereby directed to assist in all investigations hereunder and to furnish all records relating thereto when so requested by the district attorney;

(2)        The board of county commissioners of any county within his district for legal or clerical assistance in making any investigation or investigations in such county and such boards are hereby authorized to furnish such assistance in their discretion; and

(3)        The district attorney of any inferior court in his district for personal assistance in making any investigation or investigations in the county in which the court is located and any district attorney so called upon is hereby authorized to furnish such assistance by and with the consent of the board of county commissioners of the county in which the court is located, which board shall provide and fix his compensation for assistance furnished.

(b)        If following the investigation the district attorney has reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 49-2, 14-326, 108-76.1 or any other criminal offense is being or has been committed, he shall send to the grand jury of the county in which he believes the offense is being or has been committed a bill of indictment charging the commission of the offense. Sole and exclusive jurisdiction of offenses discovered as a result of investigations under this section shall be vested in the superior court notwithstanding any other provisions of law, whether general, special or local. Provided nothing in this Article shall be construed to take from the inferior courts any authority or responsibility now vested in them by existing law or to compel the district attorney to again prosecute a crime that has been disposed of in the inferior courts.

(c)        Repealed by Session Laws 1985, c. 589, s. 8. ?(1959, c. 1210, s. 1; 1969, c. 982; 1973, c. 47, s. 2; c. 476, s. 138; 1985, c. 589, s. 8; 1997-443, ss. 11A.118(a), 12.24; 2013-198, s. 4.)

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 15-155.2

  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
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