About Judge Young

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      Experienced.        Knowledgeable.        Dedicated.        Fair.

Experienced —
Twelve years ago, I was honored to be elected District Court Judge. As I did then, I continue to take that responsibility seriously. For the last twelve years I have worked hard at building and maintaining your trust and confidence as a District Court Judge.

On December 2, 2002, I began my term by taking an oath of office swearing to uphold the Constitution and the laws of North Carolina. Since my term began in 2002, I have handled tens of thousands of cases. Last year alone, approximately 45,000 cases were disposed of in Buncombe County District Court. I have presided over matters that are of utmost importance to people including child custody and support, divorce and equitable distribution, juvenile abuse and neglect, delinquency and truancy, involuntary commitments, civil and domestic restraining orders, misdemeanor and felony criminal charges, traffic infractions, landlord/tenant disputes, contract disputes, motor vehicle accident cases and other civil cases.

Prior to my experience as District Court Judge, I spent the majority of my law career as a District Court trial lawyer. From April 2001 until I was elected District Court Judge I worked with the law firm of Cogburn, Goosmann, Brazil and Rose, P.A. practicing both civil and criminal litigation. From May 1997 until April 2001, I represented the people of Buncombe County working as an Assistant Public Defender. In that capacity, I represented thousands of indigent clients throughout all stages of misdemeanor and felony proceedings in District Court, Superior Court and Appellate Courts. I represented individuals in involuntary commitment proceedings and juvenile adjudication proceedings. Throughout my tenure as an Assistant Public Defender, I participated in the development and implementation of Buncombe County’s Adult Treatment Court and Buncombe County’s Teen Court. Prior to working as an Assistant Public Defender, I practiced family and criminal law with a general practitioner in Haywood County. My service as a District Court trial lawyer gave me experience in every aspect of District Court work. I have experience representing plaintiffs and defendants. I understand the concerns and issues from each side of a civil lawsuit and criminal proceeding.

I graduated Cum Laude from Thomas M. Cooley Law School located in Lansing, Michigan, in 1994. During my law school career, I served on the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review. I was the recipient of three American Jurisprudence Awards and two Certificates of Merit in Scholarly Writing II, Research and Writing, Advocacy and Brief Writing, Computer Assisted Legal Research, and Sales and Negotiable Instruments. Each award recognized the highest grade achieved in the class. While working my way through law school, and later as a practicing attorney, I worked with a law firm in Michigan concentrating in domestic, civil and criminal litigation.

My legal research and writing skills have served me well as a District Court Judge and trial lawyer. Throughout my legal career I have appealed cases to the North Carolina Court of Appeals and successfully reversed rulings on behalf of my clients. It is necessary for a District Court Judge to research and study the law.