The North Carolina Judicial Branch has launched the Courtroom Audio Visual (CRAVE) Project to further enhance the capability to safely and securely hold remote court proceedings 

"The Cabarrus County Courthouse community is grateful to be included in the CRAVE Project and for Chief Justice Newby’s leadership in modernizing our court system," said Cabarrus County Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Martin B. (Marty) McGee. "The new equipment is an essential building block needed to expand our remote proceedings capabilities. Being able to use remote technology to advise a defendant in another county or to allow a crime victim to participate in a sentencing hearing from another state will make our courts safer, more efficient, and more accessible."

The immersive courtroom audio video infrastructure inside the courtroom includes numerous cameras, microphones, and monitors. A public kiosk located in the courthouse is connected with the system and allows self-represented litigants to make an appearance outside of a courtroom. The technology will greatly reduce the need for an in-person appearance in some cases and reduce courthouse foot traffic. 

The new system is currently being used in Brunswick, Cabarrus, New Hanover, and Perquimans counties and is scheduled to roll out in four additional counties in the coming weeks. The CRAVE project is scheduled for implementation in all 100 counties by the second quarter of 2023. 

"As our jail is 21 miles away from the courthouse, this system will allow for certain hearings to be conducted remotely resulting in increased safety and security of the public at the courthouse, less opportunity for inmate escapes, as well as a tremendous cost savings to the county in transportation expense," said Perquimans County Clerk of Superior Court Todd Tilley.