CHARLTOTE, N.C. – Chief District Court Judge Elizabeth Trosch has been informed that the Chief Justice has appointed Judge Roy Wiggins as her successor effective May 1, 2024, according to a news release. The following is her statement:
On April 22, 2024, the Chief Justice informed me that he wants a different direction in leadership for Mecklenburg and that he has appointed Judge Roy Wiggins to the post of Chief District Court Judge effective May 1, 2024.
It has been a privilege and an honor to serve Mecklenburg County as the Chief District Court Judge over the last four years. I have endeavored to improve our courts by spear-heading collaborative reforms that have advanced procedural justice and improved outcomes across the district. We have come through the COVID-19 pandemic stronger—having executed successful backlog reduction strategies and implemented data driven case management strategies bringing our pending case inventory down to pre-pandemic levels for most case types. Together, we coordinated the successful launch of e-Courts in Mecklenburg County—shepherding our district through the greatest transformation of the courts in our generation.
I am proud of the work we have done together to ensure justice for our community without favor, denial, or delay. We have reduced non-motor vehicle pending cases to 48% below pre-pandemic levels. Our criminal trial courts are more efficient bringing 230% more Driving While Impaired cases to trial and increasing dispositions by 78% compared to FY2019. Similarly, we have brought our felony pending case inventory down from 6,721 cases at the height of the pandemic to 2,373 cases—158% below pre-pandemic levels. We have successfully reduced our domestic pending cases to below pre-pandemic numbers. Despite taking 43% more domestic filings than the next largest district, we have outperformed Wake County with 85% more dispositions in the last fiscal year. Our Family Court has been effective and efficient having completed 65% more property distribution trials and 100% more child support and child custody trials.
The lack of affordable housing in Mecklenburg County has stretched our general civil court to unparalleled capacity. We have experienced a six-fold increase in eviction cases since 2013. Eviction filings in Mecklenburg County account for 48% of eviction filings statewide. Nevertheless, through data driven case management strategies, we have kept pace with over 70 bench trials per week in our civil courtroom.
As leadership of this district transitions to a new chief, I am confident that I have left it better than I found it. In partnership with local leaders, court staff and partners, a strong foundation has been laid for Mecklenburg to be the most productive and efficient district in the state.
