NC SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE DISTRICT 26C SEAT 01
The NC Superior Court is the trial court of general jurisdiction in North Carolina. It hears all felony cases and certain misdemeanor cases. In civil matters, superior courts hear civil disputes involving amounts over $25,000. Judges are elected for 8 year terms. The Superior Courts are divided into 5 divisions and further into 48 districts. There are 109 regular Superior Court judges under current state law, in addition to "special judges" who are appointed by the Governor, not elected. Judges rotate from district to district within their division every six months in order to avoid the danger of corruption or favoritism. Legislation in 2023 numerically realigned/renumbered the Superior Court and other court districts to align with the Prosecutorial districts.
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George Guise
(DEM)
What experience and skills make you the best candidate for this office? (Max. 750 characters)
You are running for a partisan judicial position. What role does the platform of your political party play in your work as a judge on the court? (Max. 750 characters)
What experiences do you bring to the kind of cases likely to come before you in the areas of family law, criminal law and juvenile justice issues? (Max. 750 characters)
Additional Comments (Max. 1000 characters)
Position/philosophy statement
For the past 30+ years, my personal and professional experiences, my commitment to justice in our community, and the integrity and compassion I have demonstrated throughout, have all informed my ability to be the very best Superior Court Judge.
Current Occupation
Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office, In-House Counsel
Age (optional)
60
Campaign Phone
704-999-6868
I have been a state and federal prosecutor, a civil litigator and criminal defense lawyer, General Counsel at Davidson College, and Volunteer Lawyer of the Year for Legal Aid. I've taught classes in Poverty Law and Social Justice at Davidson and Constitutional Law at UNCC. I've served on the Boards of Legal Services of Southern Piedmont and the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, and I am currently In-House Counsel to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office. At every step along the way I have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to justice and to the administration of justice, to due process, equal protection under the law for all persons, and to the treatment of every individual with dignity and respect.
While I do not think that judicial elections should be partisan, my lifelong affiliation as a member of the Democratic Party indicates a commitment to a certain set of values with which I am proud to be associated: Civil Rights, the importance of an independent judiciary unbending to the political biases of a rogue legislature or tyrannical executive, and the fundamental rights of due process and equal protection under the law for all persons, no matter the color of their skin, whom they love, or even whether they are lawfully in the United States.
While Superior Court Judges in North Carolina do not handle family law matters or juvenile cases, they do preside over the most serious felony cases. I have been a felony prosecutor at both the State and Federal levels - as an Assistant District Attorney and an Assistant United States Attorney during the Obama administration - for more than 12 years. I have tried more than 50 felony jury trials as a prosecutor. And then, in private practice, I have represented individuals charged with the same sort of felonies that I had previously prosecuted, gaining invaluable experience and perspective. In my current role In-House with the Sheriff's Office, I serve our justice system in a number of administrative positions.
I am proud to have the endorsement of every Superior Court Judge in Mecklenburg County permitted to endorse in my race. I have also earned the endorsements of career prosecutors in our District Attorney's Office, as well as the Public Defender in Mecklenburg County and leadership in the Criminal Defense Bar. To have the bilateral support of these adversaries in the courtroom says much about my reputation at the courthouse: for my understanding of and appreciation for the rule of law, for how I treat all individuals with dignity and respect, and for my commitment to the fundamental principles of due process and equal protection for all persons. I have the support of the most experienced civil litigators in Mecklenburg County and across the state. And finally, I am honored to have earned the endorsements of the Charlotte-Metrolina Labor Council and of the Black Political Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
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