District Court Judges

The state of North Carolina is split into 41 districts. Durham County corresponds to Court District 14. District Court Judges live in their district and are elected by the residents of that district. Their terms last for four years.

District Court Judges hear cases that include civil cases (no crime is involved), criminal cases, and juvenile cases (which involve people under the age of 16 or 18, depending on the case).

• Read more about District Court Judges.

• Read more about District Courts.

Types of Cases that District Courts Hear

Civil cases

Civil cases include divorce, child custody, child support, and other cases involving less than $25,000.

Criminal cases

District courts hear criminal cases involving crimes of misdemeanor and lower offenses that do not involve a jury.

Juvenile cases

Juvenile cases include cases involving:

• a person under age 16 who is "delinquent" (charged with committing a crime).

• a person under age 18 who is considered to be "undisciplined" ("unlawfully absent from school; or is regularly disobedient to and beyond the disciplinary control of the juvenile's parent, guardian, or custodian; or is regularly found in places where it is unlawful for a juvenile to be; or has run away from home for a period of more than 24 hours," according to NC law).

• abuse, neglect, and dependency of people under age 18.

Roles

There are seven District Court Judges in the 14th District:

District Judges

Chief District Judge

Elected by the Chief Justice of the NC Supreme Court. They set the court schedule and assign judges to cases.

Even if you aren't involved in a court case, District Courts make decisions that impact you and your neighbors. The Court Judges interpret state laws and apply them to the cases they hear. Because there is bias in any interpretation of the law, it is important for you to choose judges you think will make the best interpretations of the law and will make the best decisions for Durham residents.

• Patricia Evans, Chief Justice

• David O. Hall, Judge

• Clayton Jones, Judge

• Amanda Maris, Judge

• Shamieka Rhinehart, Judge

• Doretta Walker, Judge

• Brian Wilks, Judge

Contact the County Court by phone:

• County Courthouse (919)-808-3000

• District Court Judges (919)808-3012

• Additional County Court Contacts

Find contact information for each judge in the previous section.

District Court Judges do not make many public appearances, but you are welcome to contact them directly to get to know them and tell them your thoughts.

Instructions for accessing publicly available court records, transcripts, and audio recordings.