NC District Court Judge District 03 - Seat 1

Your current job and title:

I currently serve as a District Court Judge in Judicial District 3, which encompasses all of Pitt County.

Your highest level of education:

Juris Doctor degree from Campbell University School of Law

Why should voters choose you for the position you're running for?

Voters should reelect me for three reasons:

• Judge Entzminger means judicial experience. I have served on the bench for nearly eight years and routinely preside over various criminal and civil courts. I also have helped to resolve local problems like the Covid-19 case backlog and the transition to the statewide E-court system here in Pitt County.

• As a judge, I have followed the law with an eye towards keeping our communities safe from violent criminal offenders.

• I care about the people of Pitt County. I was born and raised in Greenville, and I have a special connection to our communities here. Even before becoming a judge, I worked to give back to the community through indigent defense work in my law practice, through volunteering as a youth league coach, and through serving on various boards in the community.

How will you balance being an independent judge and an elected official?

Being an independent judge should be the highest priority of anyone serving on the bench. As a judge, I swore an oath to faithfully and impartially discharge my duties, and that means doing my job without fear or favoritism. Our system here in North Carolina requires judges to run for office, so naturally some people will be supporters, and some will be detractors. As a candidate, I have to reach out to the voters and ask them to allow me to serve for another four years. But when I am serving as a judge in the courtroom, I strive to show fairness and respect to every litigant who appears in court, regardless of any political affiliation, or whether that individual may support my candidacy or not.

How will you deal with injustice when you confront it in your courtroom?

I believe that judges have a responsibility to, as much as is in their ability to do so, ensure that all individuals in our society have equal access to justice in our court system. A person should never be discriminated against because they lack resources. I attempt to treat all people who come into court with fairness and dignity. On occasion, I have seen what I perceived as injustice in specific cases during my time on the bench. I have seen instances where one party or litigant was treating another in a manner that I thought was unfair. I remember specifically, in one civil case, that one party attempted to manipulate the law in a way to achieve that party's intended result. After hearing from both sides and weighing the evidence, I entered a judgment in favor of the one who had been treated unfairly, and dismissed the manipulative party's action.

In other cases, I have seen lawyers and other litigants attempt to use unfair or unjust tactics to get the result that they wanted. And I have, on those occasions, had to reprimand or discipline certain parties who were being unfair, overly aggressive or abusive in either their use of the law or in their conduct towards the opposing side. Whenever possible, injustice or unfairness should be addressed directly and quickly.

Is there anything else about you that you wish to tell voters?

I have been honored to serve the people of Pitt County for the last eight years, and I have always attempted to use fairness, reason and common sense to make decisions from the bench. While there will be party designations for judges on the ballot for this year's election, the work that I have done as a District Court Judge has been anything but partisan. When I am presiding over a child custody case, or setting the bond in a felony criminal case, the last thing I care about is politics. I care about getting the decision right, based on the law and the facts of each case.

I value the support that I have earned from members of our community, from Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated voters alike. I have worked hard for our citizens, and I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to continue serving. I am humbly asking for your support, and your vote. For more information, please visit entzmingerforjudge.com.

Your current job and title:

Executive Director, Koinonia Community Solutions; Town Attorney, Town of Williamston

Your highest level of education:

Juris Doctor, University of North Carolina School of Law

Why should voters choose you for the position you're running for?

For more than 26 years, I have served our legal system and our community as a prosecutor, defense attorney, Legal Aid attorney, municipal attorney, nonprofit executive, and community advocate. That breadth of experience has given me a balanced perspective that equips me to exercise sound judgment.

I believe courts shape communities because every decision from the District Court bench affects the lives of people in our community. Those decisions deserve a judge who is careful, deliberate, prepared and faithful to the Constitution.

If entrusted with this office, I will faithfully uphold the Constitution and the laws of North Carolina, honoring both the law and the people it serves.

How will you balance being an independent judge and an elected official?

Judicial independence begins before Election Day. The North Carolina Code of Judicial Conduct requires judicial candidates to conduct themselves in a manner that preserves the integrity, independence and impartiality of the judiciary, and those same principles continue once a judge takes the bench.

If elected, every decision I make will be guided by the Constitution, the laws of North Carolina, and the facts presented in court—not politics, public opinion or outside influence.

Judicial office is a public trust. My responsibility will be to faithfully uphold the Constitution and the laws of North Carolina, exercise judicial discretion carefully, deliberately, impartially, and within the bounds of the law, and ensure that every person receives the fair and impartial administration of justice.

How will you deal with injustice when you confront it in your courtroom?

When I encounter injustice in my courtroom, I will ensure that the judicial process has faithfully met the requirements of the Constitution, the laws of North Carolina, and the fair administration of justice before judgment is entered.

The legitimacy of every judgment depends not only on the outcome, but also on the fairness and constitutional integrity of the process that produced it.

That means ensuring every person has received the constitutional protections to which they are entitled, that substantive and procedural due process have been afforded, that every person has been fully and fairly heard before the Court exercises its authority, and that the law has been carefully, accurately and consistently applied to the facts.

It is not the role of a judge to advocate for either side. It is the role of a judge to faithfully uphold the Constitution and the laws of North Carolina, safeguard the integrity of the judicial process, and exercise judicial discretion carefully, deliberately, impartially and within the bounds of the law.

Is there anything else about you that you wish to tell voters?

Faith, family and public service have shaped both my life and my career. They have also shaped how I approach responsibility.

Throughout my legal career, I have had the privilege of serving not only in our courtrooms, but also alongside families, local governments, schools, nonprofit organizations and community partners. Those experiences have given me a broader understanding of the circumstances that bring people before the Court. They have reinforced my belief that sound judgment requires fidelity to the law, careful preparation, and the discipline to hear every person impartially before faithfully applying the law.

I believe public service is both a privilege and a solemn responsibility. Those entrusted with authority have a duty to exercise it carefully, deliberately, faithfully and with respect for the dignity and equal protection of every person.

If entrusted with the responsibility of serving as your District Court Judge, I will approach every matter and every person who comes before the Court with that same commitment.

Courts shape communities: one case, one family, one victim, one defendant, and one carefully reasoned decision at a time. That is justice that honors the law and the people it serves.

I invite you to visit www.watsi4judge.com to learn more about my campaign for Pitt County District Court Judge.