On the Civil Side

A UNC School of Government Blog

https://civil.sog.unc.edu

  • Congratulations to Newly Certified Magistrates

    This entry was contributed by Melanie Crenshaw on February 11, 2026 at 9:00 am and is filed under Uncategorized.

    Magistrates are often referred to as the “first face” of the judicial system. They are critical to upholding the due process rights of North Carolina’s citizens. One of the best parts of my job is the opportunity to train magistrates in their civil law duties.

    Magistrates must complete 12 hours of training each year, which includes annual instruction in seven required subjects. They include (1) setting conditions of pretrial release, (2) impaired driving laws, (3) issuing criminal processes, (4) issuing search warrants, (5) technology, (6) orders of protection, and (7) summary ejectment laws. GS 7A-177.

    In 2020 the North Carolina Judicial College launched the Magistrate Certification Program to recognize magistrates who complete in-depth training in the areas of civil and criminal law. These magistrates not only meet their minimum annual requirements but, over their careers, they participate in advanced courses to fulfill the five components necessary for Civil and/or Criminal Law Certification. Completing these components demonstrates the magistrate’s commitment to continuous learning. A complete list of magistrates who have achieved certification since 2021 is available on the UNC School of Government website.

    Magistrates who have completed all of the required courses for either or both certifications are eligible to apply. Applications for certification were received from November 1 through December 31, 2025. The next application period will be November 1 through December 31, 2026. It is my pleasure to announce the newly certified magistrates for 2025:

    Civil Law

    Angela Boles, Moore County

    Thomasa Carver, Buncombe County

    Qadir Hassan, Guilford County

    Howard Herring, Granville County

    Michelle Johnson, Cumberland County

    Penny Lytle, Mecklenburg County

    Shavon McNeill, Robeson County

    Caroline Mitchell, Stanly County

    John Oliver, Robeson County

    Helena Rodgers, Alamance County

    Lisa Russell, Moore County

    Heather Stroud, Lenoir County

    Holly Webber, Mitchell County

    Al Williams, Hertford County

     Criminal Law

    Deanne Brown, Montgomery County

    Leslie Bruner, Scotland County

    Riley Curry, Davidson County

    Joseph Faulkner, Stanly County

    Jeff Funderburk, Gaston County

    Samuel Hardison, Martin County

    Sue Harrell, Wilson County

    Ashlyn Harris, Cleveland County

    Donnie Hedwin, New Hanover County

    Howard Herring, Granville County

    Laura Holden, Swain County

    Jeffrey Hollan, Alamance County

    Bryson Jenkins, Jones County

    Caroline Mitchell, Stanly County

    Shannon Robbins, Nash County

    Helena Rodgers, Alamance County

    Lisa Russell, Moore County

    Heather Stroud, Lenoir County

    Holly Webber, Mitchell County

    Al Willliams, Hertford County

    On behalf of the Judicial College, I extend my sincere congratulations to these magistrates on this extraordinary achievement. If you are a magistrate who is interested in certification, read more about it on the NC Magistrate microsite. If you have any questions about certification, please contact me at mcrenshaw@sog.unc.edu.

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    Melanie Crenshaw

    Melanie Crenshaw joined the School of Government in August 2022, working with magistrates in the area of civil law. Prior to joining the School, she worked as a magistrate in Cumberland County. Before serving as a magistrate, Crenshaw was in private practice in Greensboro, North Carolina, where she represented clients in a variety of matters related to family law. While in private practice, she also worked as an adjunct professor at the Elon University School of Law in the areas of family law and moot court. During law school, Crenshaw was the research clerk for the NC Pattern Jury Instruction Criminal Subcommittee and spent a summer as an intern in the Clerk’s Office of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Prior to attending law school, she was a high school french teacher in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

    Crenshaw received her JD summa cum laude from Elon University School of Law as a member of the charter class. She served on the Elon Moot Court Board and as symposium editor on the Elon Law Review. She earned her BA summa cum laude from Elon College where she studied French. She is a member of the North Carolina State Bar.

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