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2024 marks the first contested election for District Court Judge Russell Davis

The sixth seat for the Fifth District Court Judidical District, covering New Hanover and Pender county, will be on residents' ballots this election.

The contenders for this race are Democratic incumbent Richard Russell Davis, and attorney Richard (Ray) Forrest Kern, who is running as a Republican (Judicial races became partisan in 2018).

Davis received his bachelor’s from UNC Chapel Hill and got his law degree from Carolina Central Law School, and has been practicing law since the late 90s. He was appointed to the District Court bench in 2005 by Governor Mike Easley. Over the past 19 years, he has run uncontested (in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020) — until now.

After making multiple attempts to contact Kern, he could not be reached for an interview. To find out more about Kern’s values and approach to serving on the bench, visit his campaign page.

District courts rotate through various cases involving civil, criminal, juvenile, and magistrate concerns. That means divorce cases, child custody cases, and others that fall under the District Court’s purview will be ruled on by whoever is elected, more often than not, without a jury.

Davis explained what the day-to-day of district court looks like from a judge’s perspective.

“Particularly at the district court level, we're seeing people at their most vulnerable, when they've made the worst mistake of their life, or they're in a situation that they just can't get out of. So it's giving everybody a chance to be heard and to make their case and to present their side,” he said.

He also highlighted the importance of remaining objective while hearing cases that greatly impact people’s lives.

“My personal beliefs don't come into any of it at all. I pretty much start out knowing that I'm not perfect, and it would be very unfair for me to expect the people in front of me to be perfect, but as long as the people with contested cases have an opportunity to be heard, to present their side and hear their arguments about what they think the facts are, what they think the law says about that, and then just weighing the facts against the law and making an impartial decision based on that,” Davis said.

While Davis doesn’t view televised trials as “good use of court time,” he realizes the importance of maintaining transparency within the judicial system.

“So if somebody is charged with murder or, you know, some kind of awful case… it varies from Judge to judge… District Court, in most cases, is not a court of record, and just for those instances, I'm fine with cameras, as far as media being in there and taking notes, that is never a problem,” he said.

It’s worth noting here that many defendants facing serious charges — like murder, rape, and other violent crimes — make their ‘first appearances’ in district court, an important hearing where bond is set, flight-risk status is determined, and public defenders are assigned if appropriate. But subsequent hearings and trials are moved to superior court.

With nearly two decades ruling over numerous types of court proceedings, Davis said his career accomplishments are realized each day as he strives for the best outcomes for families and youth who come through the court system.

“I think whenever in the abuse, neglect and dependency courts and juvenile delinquency, being able to get families in a better position coming out of that process than where they were at the beginning of each case, there is a great accomplishment… I like to think that helping people, when I can in the courtroom, has really a lot of effect with them outside in the community,” he said.

North Carolina has one of the highest incarceration rates in the nation, and in New Hanover County 44.1% of prosecuted cases resulted in a conviction between 2009 and 2013. Davis touched on more of his judicial philosophy, emphasizing the need to decrease incarceration rates in New Hanover and surrounding counties.

“We could fill up the jails as fast as the taxpayers want to build them and pay for them, but that's not the answer… and sometimes people do spend more time in jail than reasonably they deserved or even should have in the outset. So you just try to address as you can. But mass incarceration is not the answer,” he said.

And Davis said he understands that people who he comes in contact with in the courtroom are also members of the community that he and his family are a part of.

“Having been born and raised in Wilmington, my dad was chairman of the county commissioners back in the early 70s when I was born. My mom is retired public school teacher of 30 years. My wife works for Novant, and I have two teenage kids in public high school here. The cases that I'm hearing on a daily basis, it affects the people in the same community that I've always known and my family has always known,” he said.

He was reminded of this during a recent instance when a past defendant spotted him on the street and expressed their gratitude.

“‘Are you Judge Davis?’ And I'm like, ‘Yes,’ not sure what's going on, but she's like, ‘well, I'll never forget a voice.’ But she particularly wanted to tell me that she had gotten out of jail for a case, for some charges, and had gone through a treatment program and was doing a lot better. And she just wanted to tell me thanks for that, which was nice to hear at 11 o'clock on a Sunday night from a random stranger,” he said.

Though this is his first contested election, Davis said he looks forward to serving another four years in the role if he is re-elected.

Early voting begins on Oct. 17, and closes at 3 p.m. on Nov. 2. Residents planning to vote in-person on election day, Nov. 5, must present a photo ID. To get more details on voter registration and deadlines for absentee ballots, visit North Carolina’s State Board of Elections site.

Find out more about the candidates here:

Aaleah McConnell is a Report for America corps member and a recent North Carolina implant from Atlanta, Georgia. They report on the criminal justice system in New Hanover County and surrounding areas. Before joining WHQR, they completed a fellowship with the States Newsroom, as a General Assignment Reporter for the Georgia Recorder. Aaleah graduated from Kennesaw State University with a degree in journalism and minored in African and African-American Diaspora studies. In their free time, Aaleah loves roller-skating and enjoys long walks with their dog Kai. You can reach them at amcconnell@whqr.org.