(a) The chief court counselor shall maintain a record of all cases of juveniles under supervision of juvenile court counselors, to be known as the juvenile court counselor’s record. The juvenile court counselor’s record shall include the juvenile’s delinquency record; consultations with law enforcement that did not result in the filing of a complaint; family background information; reports of social, medical, psychiatric, or psychological information concerning a juvenile or the juvenile’s family; probation reports; interviews with the juvenile’s family; the results of the gang assessment; or other information the court finds should be protected from public inspection in the best interests of the juvenile.

(a1) To assist at the time of investigation of an incident that could result in the filing of a complaint, upon request, a juvenile court counselor shall share with a law enforcement officer sworn in this State information from the juvenile court counselor’s record related to a juvenile’s delinquency record or prior consultations with law enforcement. A law enforcement officer may not obtain copies of any part of the record, and all information shared pursuant to this subsection shall be withheld from public inspection as provided in subsection (b) of this section.

(b) Unless jurisdiction of the juvenile has been transferred to superior court, all law enforcement records and files concerning a juvenile shall be kept separate from the records and files of adults and shall be withheld from public inspection. The following persons may examine and obtain copies of law enforcement records and files concerning a juvenile without an order of the court:

(1) The juvenile or the juvenile’s attorney;

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Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 7B-3001

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • 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
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • 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.
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3

(2) The juvenile’s parent, guardian, custodian, or the authorized representative of the juvenile’s parent, guardian, or custodian;

(3) The prosecutor;

(4) Juvenile court counselors; and

(5) Law enforcement officers sworn in this State.

Otherwise, the records and files may be examined or copied only by order of the court.

(c) All records and files maintained by the Division pursuant to this Chapter shall be withheld from public inspection. The following persons may examine and obtain copies of the Division records and files concerning a juvenile without an order of the court:

(1) The juvenile and the juvenile’s attorney;

(2) The juvenile’s parent, guardian, custodian, or the authorized representative of the juvenile’s parent, guardian, or custodian;

(3) Professionals in the agency who are directly involved in the juvenile’s case; and

(4) Juvenile court counselors.

Otherwise, the records and files may be examined or copied only by order of the court. The court may inspect and order the release of records maintained by the Division.

(d) When the Division of Community Supervision and Reentry of the Department of Adult Correction is authorized to access a juvenile record pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7B-3000(e1), the Division may, at the request of the Division of Community of Supervision and Reentry, notify the Division of Community of Supervision and Reentry that there is a juvenile record of an adjudication of delinquency for an offense that would be a felony if committed by an adult for a person subject to probation supervision under Article 82 of Chapter 15A of the N.C. Gen. Stat. and may notify the Division of Community of Supervision and Reentry of the county or counties where the adjudication of delinquency occurred. (1979, c. 815, s. 1; 1987, c. 297; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 7, s. 1; 1995, c. 462, s. 4; c. 509, s. 5; 1997-459, s. 2; 1998-202, s. 6; 2000-137, s. 3; 2001-490, s. 2.32; 2009-372, s. 2; 2009-545, s. 3; 2011-145, s. 19.1(h), (k), (l); 2017-57, s. 16D.4(x), (ii); 2017-186, s. 2(n); 2017-197, s. 5.4; 2018-142, s. 23(b); 2021-180, s. 19C.9(v), (v1).)