North Carolina Consent to Proceed Before a Magistrate Judge in a Misdemeanor Case-AO 86A is a form that allows a person charged with a misdemeanor in North Carolina to waive their right to a trial by jury and consent to proceed before a magistrate judge. This form must be signed by the defendant and the defendant's attorney, if any, and be filed in the court in which the case is pending. There are two types of North Carolina Consent to Proceed Before a Magistrate Judge in a Misdemeanor Case-AO 86A forms: one for cases in which the defendant is represented by an attorney and one for cases in which the defendant is not represented by an attorney. The form must be filed before the defendant is arraigned on the misdemeanor charge. Once the form is filed, the case will be transferred to a magistrate judge for further proceedings.