Amends GS 15A-601 to require any defendant charged with a misdemeanor under a magistrate's order or by criminal process who is held in the custody to have a first appearance before a district court judge in the district in which the crime is charged to have been committed. Clarifies that this first appearance is not a critical stage of the proceedings. Makes technical changes and language gender neutral. Effective December 1, 2020, and applies to criminal processes served on or after that date.