The duties and responsibilities of a District Attorney are far more than just trying cases. Here is what I do as District Attorney:

I set the philosophy, priorities, and direction for the District Attorney’s Office and the assistant district attorneys;

I am an advocate for victims and their families;

I am a community contact for people with problems or issues who are looking for someone to turn to for help;

I am a behavior modification specialist who tries to figure out what it will take in each particular defendant’s case to prevent them breaking the law again;

I am a consultant and advisor to the several hundred law enforcement officers in our two counties, and regularly field calls and questions from them at any time, day or night;

I am a liaison with the State Bureau of Investigation, the State Crime Lab, the North Carolina DMV, and the Attorney General’s Office;

I am an advocate to the North Carolina legislature to address bills that would have a harmful effect on our community through the criminal justice system (such as advocating against a bill that sought to prevent the proseuction from using any confession made by a defendant in custody) and to advance bills necessary to keep our communities safe (such as the recently passed “Death by Distribution” law holding drug dealers accountable for deaths from the drugs they sell);

I serve as a special prosecutor called in by the State to handle special cases from Cleveland County to the western edge of the State;

I am responsible for handling post-conviction legal matters dealing with motions, hearings, and other legal issues brought by defendants and their lawyers after conviction;

I am a reentry advocate active on multiple committees and organizations that focus on breaking the cycle of recidivism by addressing mental health issues, substance abuse treatment, training, employment, and housing needs for people with criminal records;

I am a personal advocate to employers on behalf of people we have convicted in the past but who have changed their behavior and their lives and have shown themselves to be appropriate candidates for employment;

I am part of the Courthouse leadership team responsible for coordinating the operations of two courthouses;

I am a manager and HR director of what is essentially two law offices that employ 16 people, including 8 attorneys;

I am a public servant devoted to serving our community and continually working on ways to reduce crime and make it safer.