Find Buncombe County District Court Cases

North Carolina's General Court of Justice

North Carolina operates a single unified court system called the General Court of Justice. Every state court in Buncombe County is part of it. That system divides into two main divisions. The Appellate Division sits at the top and holds the Supreme Court of North Carolina and the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Below it, the Trial Division does the day-to-day court work and consists of Superior Court and District Court. There is no separate county court level or intermediate trial tier. Cases that need a new review go straight up to the Court of Appeals.

North Carolina's structure means that the N.C. Judicial Branch runs every court statewide through a single administrative chain. Local judges are elected within their district. Local clerks are elected judicial officials who keep the records for both Superior Court and District Court in their county. Buncombe County falls in District 40 for Superior Court, District Court, and prosecutorial purposes, meaning that one district number covers all three functions.

The unification also matters for record access. Because both trial courts share a single clerk and a single case management system, a search of the North Carolina eCourts Portal reaches civil, criminal, family, and probate matters from both courts in one place.

The N.C. Judicial Branch Superior Court page shows the full appellate and trial structure that governs Buncombe County District Court cases.

That page describes Superior Court's role in the Trial Division and explains how appeals from District Court flow up, which is the same path Buncombe County District Court cases follow when a party contests the outcome.

Buncombe County District Court Offices and Courts

All state trial court functions for Buncombe County are centralized at the Buncombe County Courthouse at 60 Court Plaza in Asheville. There are no branch courthouses or separate civil and criminal buildings for the state trial courts. The courthouse also holds the District Attorney's office, the Public Defender's office, and all magistrate functions except the criminal magistrate line, which is attached to the detention facility. The table below lists each court and office, its address, and its direct phone number as published by the N.C. Judicial Branch and the Buncombe County elected officials directory.

Note: All court offices follow the main courthouse schedule of Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, unless a specific office posts different hours. The criminal magistrate is available 24 hours for arrest warrant and bail functions.

Superior Court vs District Court vs Magistrate in Buncombe County

North Carolina does not have a separate county court. The Trial Division uses three tiers: Superior Court, District Court, and magistrates. Each tier has a defined jurisdiction. Cases belong to one tier based on the type of claim and, for civil matters, the dollar amount at stake. A case filed in the wrong tier can be transferred, but the filing attorney is responsible for picking the right court. The table below lays out how jurisdiction splits across all three tiers in Buncombe County.

The N.C. Judicial Branch District Court overview page describes the full scope of what District Court hears statewide, including the specific civil dollar ceiling and the categories of family and juvenile matters that go before District Court judges.

That page also explains that District Court operates without a jury, which means a judge decides all facts and law in Buncombe County District Court cases, from misdemeanor criminal matters to contested custody hearings.

What Buncombe County District Court Hears

District Court is the trial court for most of the case types that ordinary residents encounter. It handles criminal misdemeanors, which are offenses one level below felonies. It also handles infractions, which are civil violations such as most traffic tickets. Civil claims worth $25,000 or less go to District Court as well. That dollar limit covers a large share of contract disputes, property damage claims, and small-business disagreements.

Family law is a major part of District Court work in Buncombe County. Divorces are filed in District Court. So are custody petitions, child support actions, requests for domestic violence protective orders, and most matters that touch on the family unit. The Buncombe County courthouse also hosts a dedicated Family Court program with its own docket and scheduling system at (828) 259-3415.

Juvenile delinquency cases and undisciplined youth matters are District Court matters as well. The juvenile docket is confidential and does not appear in public search results. Records from those cases are sealed under N.C.G.S. Chapter 7B, Article 30, which restricts access to juvenile court records except by court order or specific statutory permission.

For deeper detail on specific case types and how to find records through eCourts, see the Buncombe County court records page.

Buncombe County Superior Court Jurisdiction

Superior Court sits above District Court in the Trial Division. It is the trial court for all felony criminal cases in Buncombe County. Felonies run from Class A, which carries the most serious penalties, down through Class I. A person charged with a felony in Buncombe County will have their case heard in Superior Court, not in District Court. The District Attorney's office at (828) 259-3410 prosecutes those cases.

On the civil side, Superior Court hears claims worth more than $25,000. Large contract disputes, personal injury cases, real property disputes involving significant value, and business litigation all belong here. There is no upper dollar cap in Superior Court civil cases. When the amount at stake crosses $25,000, Superior Court is the right filing location.

Superior Court also functions as the appellate court for Buncombe County District Court misdemeanor and infraction cases. If a person loses in District Court on a misdemeanor and wants a new trial, that trial happens in Superior Court. Superior Court reviews District Court decisions for legal correctness and can hold a full new trial on the facts. From Superior Court, further appeals go to the North Carolina Court of Appeals in Raleigh, and then to the Supreme Court of North Carolina.

Buncombe County District Court Judges

District Court judges in North Carolina are elected within their district for four-year terms. District 40 has seven District Court judges serving Buncombe County. Chief Judge Ward Scott leads the District Court bench. The remaining judges are Ed Clontz, Julie Kepple, Patricia Kaufmann-Young, Susan Dotson-Smith, Robin Leigh Merrell, and Meredith Pressley Stone. All seven are listed in the Buncombe County elected officials directory and serve terms that appear in that published record. The District Court Judges office number is (828) 259-3412.

District Court judges hear bench trials only. There is no jury in District Court. A single judge decides the case after hearing evidence and argument. That applies to misdemeanor criminal trials, small civil claims above the magistrate level, family court matters, and juvenile proceedings. If a party in a misdemeanor case wants a jury, the case must be appealed to Superior Court for a de novo trial, meaning a full new trial before a jury of twelve.

The Public Defender's office serves people who cannot afford private counsel in criminal matters. Samuel Snead is the Chief Public Defender for Buncombe County, appointed to that role on October 1, 2020. The Public Defender's office is at 60 Court Plaza and can be reached at (828) 259-3423.

How a Case Moves Through the Buncombe County System

Cases in Buncombe County enter the system at different levels depending on the charge or claim. Most criminal matters start with an arrest and a first appearance before a magistrate, who sets bail and determines whether to release the person. Civil claims and family petitions are filed directly with the Clerk of Superior Court. From there, both types of cases move through a defined sequence before reaching a final resolution. Understanding that path helps explain why some cases take weeks and others take years.

Criminal case flow: Arrest › Magistrate / First Appearance › District Court (misdemeanor) or Grand Jury / Indictment then Superior Court (felony) › Arraignment › Pretrial motions › Trial or Plea › Sentencing › North Carolina Court of Appeals › Supreme Court of North Carolina

Civil case flow: Complaint Filed with Clerk › Summons Served › Answer › Discovery › Mediation (if ordered) › Trial › Judgment › North Carolina Court of Appeals › Supreme Court of North Carolina

Small claims flow: Complaint to Magistrate › Hearing (no jury, no formal rules of evidence) › Magistrate Judgment › Appeal to District Court › Appeal to Superior Court › North Carolina Court of Appeals

Most Buncombe County District Court cases resolve without reaching the appellate courts. Plea agreements in criminal cases and negotiated settlements in civil cases close the majority of files before trial. The Buncombe County court dockets page shows how active hearing calendars are managed and how to find upcoming dates for a pending case.

Magistrates and Small Claims in Buncombe County

Magistrates are judicial officials appointed by the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge. They sit at the base of the Trial Division and handle several functions that keep the courts running around the clock. The civil magistrate office at 60 Court Plaza handles civil matters during regular hours. The criminal magistrate, reachable at (828) 250-4690, operates at the detention facility complex at 20 Davidson Drive and is available at all hours because arrest warrant applications, bail determinations, and first appearances do not stop at 5:00 PM.

Small claims court is a magistrate function. Any civil dispute worth $10,000 or less can be filed as a small claims case. The informal process skips formal rules of evidence. Both sides tell their story, present documents, and answer the magistrate's questions. The magistrate rules from the bench. Eviction cases, sometimes called summary ejectment, also go before a magistrate in Buncombe County. Recovery of personal property and motor vehicle mechanics' lien cases are magistrate matters too.

A party who loses in small claims can appeal the decision to District Court. That appeal is heard as a full trial, not just a review of what the magistrate did. From District Court, a further appeal to Superior Court is available. The right to a jury does not attach until the case reaches Superior Court on that chain of appeals. Small claims judgments and eviction outcomes are part of the public court record and are searchable through the eCourts Portal.

Note: Small claims filings are made with the Clerk of Superior Court, not directly with the magistrate. The Clerk assigns the case and schedules the magistrate hearing, which is why the Clerk of Superior Court page is the right starting point for any filing question.

Specialty Courts in Buncombe County District 40

Buncombe County runs several problem-solving courts as part of its District 40 trial court operation. These are designed to address the causes of repeat criminal conduct rather than simply move cases through the standard docket. Each program has its own application process and eligibility criteria, and not every defendant qualifies.

The Adult Treatment Court serves nonviolent, repeat offenders who face significant jail or prison exposure and who have an underlying substance use or mental health condition driving their behavior. Participants agree to intensive supervision, treatment, drug testing, and regular court check-ins. Successful completion can result in a reduced or dismissed charge. The Adult Treatment Court contact for Buncombe County is (828) 250-6491.

• Veterans Treatment Court - serves military veterans and service members facing criminal charges. Links participants to VA benefits, mental health treatment, and peer mentors who are veterans themselves. Contact: (828) 259-6601.
• DWI Treatment Court - targets high-risk, high-need DWI offenders with structured treatment and supervision.
• Family Court - dedicated docket for domestic and family matters including custody, support, and domestic violence protective orders. Contact: (828) 259-3415.
• Juvenile Court Improvement Program - tracks outcomes and improves practices for youth cases in District Court.
• Guardian ad Litem - court-appointed representatives for children in abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. Contact: (828) 259-3443.

The Access and Visitation Program, the Clerk Mediation Program, and the Family Financial Settlement Program round out Buncombe County's support services for family court litigants. Cases in these programs still generate public court records, though specific program records may be handled differently depending on the case type.

Buncombe County Courthouse Location and Access

The Buncombe County Courthouse at 60 Court Plaza in Asheville is where all state trial court functions for this county are conducted. The building is the main address for Superior Court, District Court, the Clerk of Superior Court, all magistrate services except criminal, and related judicial offices. The newer judicial complex that joins the original 1928 courthouse is a 118,000-square-foot, four-story building with courtrooms, judicial offices, holding cells, and video arraignment capability.

All patrons enter the courthouse at street level. Elevators serve all office floors. Plan to arrive 30 minutes before a scheduled hearing. The security checkpoint at the entrance includes a bag scan and metal detector. Parking is available at the Buncombe County Parking Deck at 164 College Street, across from the courthouse. Jurors park free there with validation from the jury clerk. The official N.C. Judicial Branch courthouse page lists current hours and contact details.

Search Buncombe County District Court Records Online

Court records for both Superior Court and District Court in Buncombe County are searchable through the North Carolina eCourts Portal. North Carolina completed the eCourts rollout to all 100 counties on October 13, 2025. Every county now runs on the Enterprise Justice and Odyssey case management system. The Portal's Smart Search function accepts a party name or a case number and can filter results by county, case type, and filing date range.

To limit a search to Buncombe County District Court cases, open Advanced Filtering Options after entering a name or case number and select Buncombe County from the location list. The Portal also lets users narrow by case type, which can separate criminal misdemeanor results from family or civil entries. A CAPTCHA challenge appears every five minutes during a session, so expect brief interruptions. The Portal works only with JavaScript and cookies enabled.

The Search Hearings tool in the same portal is the right option when the goal is finding a court date rather than case history. It lets users search by party name, case number, attorney name, judicial officer, or courtroom, and it can filter by hearing type such as civil, criminal, family, probate, or mental health. More detail on using both tools is on the Buncombe County court records page. Traffic ticket and citation records are covered separately on the Buncombe County traffic court records page, and arrest and criminal history searches are explained on the Buncombe County arrest records page.

Appeals from Buncombe County District Court

A party who loses in Buncombe County District Court on a misdemeanor or infraction has the right to a trial de novo in Superior Court. That phrase means a full new trial, not just a review. The party files a notice of appeal with the Clerk of Superior Court, and the case is assigned to the Superior Court docket. A jury of twelve decides the facts in that new trial for most criminal matters.

From Superior Court, the next step is the North Carolina Court of Appeals, which sits in Raleigh. The Court of Appeals reviews Superior Court decisions for legal error. It does not hold new trials or take new evidence. After the Court of Appeals, a party can seek discretionary review in the Supreme Court of North Carolina, the highest court in the state. Most cases stop at the Court of Appeals level. Very few reach the Supreme Court.

Civil and family cases from Buncombe County District Court follow a similar path, though some civil appeals have to meet specific threshold requirements before the Court of Appeals will hear them. Appeals can also be made from magistrate small claims decisions to District Court, and then further if needed. Each step requires a notice of appeal filed within a set time, so parties who want to appeal should contact the Clerk's office promptly after a decision.