A local attorney running for the District 17B district court judge seat in the fall will get an early start on her job, after being appointed to the vacant post by Gov. Roy Cooper. District 17B covers Surry and Stokes counties.
Gretchen Hollar Kirkman, a Mount Airy attorney, was among four judicial appointments Cooper announced Tuesday.
The Mount Airy resident previously served as a district court judge for District 17B, when she was appointed to that seat in 2018 to fill a vacancy after Charles M. Neaves Jr. retired from that post. She lost a re-election bid later that year in a tight race with Tom Langan. The death of Judge Spencer Key created the present vacancy, and Kirkman easily won the GOP nomination for the seat over Mark Miller.
Because there are no other candidates filed to run for the seat in November, the primary effectively gave her the victory, and Cooper’s appointment allows her to take the judge seat several months early.
Kirkman is the sole practitioner at the Law Office of Gretchen Hollar Kirkman, PLLC. Previously, in addition to serving as a District 17B judge, she was an attorney at the Law Office of Sarah Stevens. The Surry Central High School graduate received her Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Other Cooper appointments include:
– Jennifer Bedford as District Court Judge in District 10F, which serves part of Wake County. She will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Kris Bailey. Bedford serves as a Wake County Guardian ad Litem. She has worked as a senior legislative analyst and lead committee counsel at the North Carolina General Assembly. She was also an assistant district attorney in North Carolina and served in the U.S. Army. Bedford received her Juris Doctor from Pennsylvania State University and her Bachelor of Arts from Georgia State University.
– Matthew Rupp as District Court Judge in District 24, which serves Avery, Madison, Mitchell, Watauga and Yancey counties. He will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Larry Leake. Rupp is a partner at Angle, Rupp and Rupp, Attorneys at Law. Previously, he was an assistant district attorney in the District Attorney’s Office for the 35th Prosecutorial District and the 26th Prosecutorial District. His prior experience also includes serving as counsel for the House Committee on Ways and Means and Counselor to the Inspector General. He received his Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame.
– Shante’ Burke-Hayer as District Court Judge in District 26, which serves part of Mecklenburg County. She will fill the vacant seat formerly held by Judge Kimberly Best. Burke-Hayer is managing attorney at Burke-Hayer Law Firm, PLLC. Previously, Burke was Of Counsel – Attorney at Hunt Law, PLLC, and a legal analyst at Wells Fargo. She received her Juris Doctor from the Charlotte School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
“These appointees bring years of experience and knowledge to the bench,” Gov. Cooper said. “I am grateful for their dedication to their communities over the years, and grateful for their willingness to serve.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com