North Carolina General Statutes 120-19.1. Hearings; examination of witnesses; counsel
(a) Committees of either the House or Senate of the General Assembly of North Carolina may hold separate or joint hearings, call witnesses, and compel testimony relevant to any bill, resolution or other matter properly before the committee.
(b) Witnesses may be examined under oath.
(c) When any person is examined before a committee, any member wishing to ask a question must address it to the chairman or presiding officer, who repeats the question or directs the witness to answer the member’s question.? Staff members or counsel employed by the committee may propound questions to the chairman for a witness to answer.
(d) Objections to the propriety of a question are directed to the committee as a whole.? The committee must determine whether the objection is to be sustained or overruled by majority vote of the committee.
(e) When any witness is examined under oath, the proceedings must be taken and transcribed verbatim.? Upon request, a witness must be furnished a copy of the transcript of his appearance before the committee.
(f) Witnesses may be accompanied by their own counsel for the purpose of advising them concerning their rights. (1973, c. 543.)
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 120-19.1
- Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
- oath: shall be construed to include "affirmation" in all cases where by law an affirmation may be substituted for an oath, and in like cases the word "sworn" shall be construed to include the word "affirmed. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
- Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
- Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
- Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.