CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - The Democratic National Convention is still six months away, and court officials are meeting every few weeks to craft a plan.
It's always subject to change.
Trial Court Administrator Todd Nuccio said they still don't know whether the courthouse will be within the enforced security zone. The building is only three blocks from the main Convention site at Time Warner Cable Arena.
The designation could impact parking for employees and citizens. It's one reason the court will operate on a lighter schedule that week.
Nuccio said there will be no trials scheduled. Only critical functions like bond hearings, first appearances and domestic violence cases will be heard.
The big question is, how many people will be arrested and prosecuted?
"Honestly, we don't know," said Nuccio. "It runs the gamut, in terms of the history, based various jurisdictions that have held this type of event," he said.
There's no perfect model to study. Past conventions have sparked a range of arrests, anywhere from a few to 800.
Whoever is arrested, will be booked at a temporary arrest processing center of the Mecklenburg County Jail.
Last year, Sheriff Chipp Bailey told WBTV that he hoped the current center downtown would be remodeled in time for the Convention. The project is still two years from completion.
Using the temporary site will place those arrested further from the Convention once they bond out of jail.
They'll still have to make their way to the courthouse.
"Beyond the normal arrests, we'll be able to have those handled in the most expedient fashion," said Nuccio, saying some cases could be fast-tracked.
He said with a lighter docket, they'll maintain a regular staff to deal with the DNC cases more quickly.
The courthouse will also be open on Labor Day to handle regular cases and make room for those stemming from the Convention.
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