Press release from Meredith Pressley Stone:
Black Mountain – Meredith Pressley Stone, a career public servant best known for her commitment to public safety, advocating for victims, and advancing justice reform, has filed for election to District Court seat 7. That is the seat held by The Honorable Chief District Court Judge Calvin Hill, who is retiring.
“I decided early on that there is no better place to live and no better work to do than helping people in our community, especially people who experience harm and neglect,” Meredith said. “I have dedicated my career to ensuring fairness and equity in our justice system, and it would be my honor to serve our community as our next District Court Judge.”
Meredith is a prosecutor, working in the Buncombe County District Attorney’s Office since 2007. She is a Buncombe County native and a graduate of Enka High, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NCCU-Law. Meredith and her husband Ryan are raising two daughters in Black Mountain.
“A great judge must first have an understanding of the law, the work ethic to handle the courts’ business, a gracious personality and wisdom learned from experience. I have observed all of these traits in Meredith,” said recently retired Buncombe Clerk of Superior Court Steve Cogburn. “I am excited to endorse Meredith Pressley Stone for District Court Judge in Buncombe County. Having been an attorney since 1982 and 14 years as Clerk of Court, I fully understand what makes a great judge.”
Throughout 16 years as a prosecutor, Meredith has worked to expand Buncombe County’s Treatment Courts, Diversion Programs, Driver’s License Restoration and Expunction Clinics. This work is essential to her role as a minister of justice, which requires that she seek justice not merely seek convictions. Case by case, Meredith always works to be fair and look at the individual circumstances involved. Meredith has tried many of our community’s toughest criminal cases and advocated for victims in Buncombe County.
Meredith knows the fast pace of District Court–where Judges can preside over more than 100 cases in a single day. For many years, and currently, Meredith manages the district courtrooms as the District Court Supervisor for the DA’s office. In that role, she works to reduce unnecessary jail time that harms families and our community and wastes tax dollars.
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