Born in Eastern North Carolina, my parents owned their own pharmacy and taught me the importance of hard work and service to my community. As a childhood cancer survivor, I learned perseverance through difficulty. As a mother to a child with special needs, I understand compassion and the importance of fairness. It has been my privilege to be your District Court Judge since January 2023.

Before becoming a District Court Judge, I stood beside my clients to provide them the advice and representation they needed to navigate difficult circumstances. I also served our state as a public servant before being elected by you in 2022 by representing state employees, including law enforcement.

Throughout my legal career, one of the most important things I gained was an understanding of how vital it was to justice that our judges follow our state and U.S. Constitutions, and our laws, as written.

District Court is the place where most people interact with the justice system. The people who come before a District Court judge are seeking answers to legal problems that are paramount in their lives. Those legal issues span from criminal to family to civil, all areas in which I have experience. You deserve a judge who is well versed in the law and understands the importances of following the law and our constitutions. In my first term as District Court Judge, I graduated with my Masters of Law (LL.M) which is a degree beyond my law degree. I also have almost completed the requirements necessary to gain a specialty certification as a juvenile judge. I am the only judge serving our district that has an LL.M and I am the only judge serving our district who is working toward that juvenile certification.

I am not just committed to justice at work, but I also believe in being a positive part of my community. I serve as the judicial designee and the Vice Chair of Moore County’s Juvenile Crime Prevention Council which monitors programs used by District Court judges every day to help juveniles get on the right track. I also volunteer with Teen Court in both Moore and Hoke Counties. In addition, I started the first, and currently only, Moore County NC Advocates for Justice mock trial team by gathering students from across schools in Moore County that compete each year with other teams across the state. I also coach the debate team at a local school, Sandhills Classical Christian School.

As your district court judge, I have been invited to participate in statewide panels regarding how to improve resources in our juvenile courts and how to ensure we maintain adequate attorneys for our court appointed lists. I’ve participated in teaching other judges how to manage cases with children that have special educational needs to ensure we get the best results for those families. I’ve been recognized by my peers for my work both in the courtroom and outside the courtroom.

At home, I am a mother to two wonderful girls – one college student at UNC-Wilmington and another high school student at Sandhills Classical Christian School. I’ve been married to my husband, Brentley, for 20 years. He serves you as well as an elected official for the Town of Carthage, where we live in a historic home right next door to the Moore County Courthouse. I’m excited to ask for your support in my re-election campaign to continue serving you as a District Court Judge.

I started my career in private practice at Cranfill Sumner and Hartzog, LLP where I represented healthcare providers, businesses, and family law clients.  I felt called to public service and began representing the North Carolina Department of Public Safety in 2014, first as an Assistant Attorney General with the North Carolina Department of Justice and then as an Assistant General Counsel within the Department.  Prior to becoming a District Court Judge, I served as the Associate Director for the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission, a state agency charged with the neutral investigation of post-conviction claims of innocence. There, was my job every day to assess claims to the Commission in light of the Commission’s governing statute and to investigate those claims without bias towards either the defendant or the State.