The Orange County Courthouse doesn’t just deal with criminal cases. Its judicial responsibilities include estates, mental health commitments, domestic violence cases and even adoptions. These proceedings, however, are moving slower than normal because the courthouse is understaffed. Now, there’s a backlog of cases from new laws from the North Carolina legislature.
Orange County Clerk of Court Mark Kleinschmidt praises his new co-worker: a service dog named Adele who helps people navigate the stressful court process.