Experience Matters on Superior Court
Complex cases require more than legal knowledge. They require judgment developed over time.
Superior Court is where many of North Carolina’s most serious and complex trial court matters are heard. These cases can involve felony criminal matters, civil disputes involving more than $25,000, jury trials, bench trials, motions, appeals, docket management, courtroom administration, and urgent legal issues. North Carolina Superior Court judges also rotate among districts within their divisions every six months, which means the job requires preparation, flexibility, and the ability to lead in different courtrooms.
Judge Frank Jones brings more than four decades of courtroom experience to that responsibility, including 33 years as a trial attorney and service since 2018 as a Superior Court Judge. That experience helps him anticipate problems before they disrupt proceedings, manage court time responsibly, prepare for complex legal issues, and make decisions with the discipline the office demands.
For voters, the question is not just whether a candidate understands the law. It is whether that candidate has the experience, temperament, discipline, and judgment to handle the responsibility every day.
Judge Frank Jones has done that work.
Why Experience Matters
Better Preparation
Complex cases often require advance review, legal research, coordination, and planning. Judge Jones begins that work before the courtroom fills.
Steady Courtroom Leadership
A courtroom needs order, dignity, and respect. Judge Jones believes the judge sets that tone.
More Informed Decisions
Years in the courtroom help a judge recognize issues, ask better questions, and understand the practical impact of rulings.
Respect for the Process
A prepared judge helps reduce unnecessary delays, respects jurors’ time, gives attorneys and litigants a fair opportunity to be heard, and makes a clear record when needed.
Continuity for the Courts
Superior Court depends on judges who understand docket management, courthouse operations, jury logistics, law enforcement needs, and the work of court personnel.
Superior Court
Handles Serious Cases
Felony Criminal Cases
Superior Court handles serious criminal trial matters that can carry significant consequences.
Civil Cases Over $25,000
Superior Court hears larger civil disputes that can affect individuals, families, businesses, and communities.
Jury Trials
A judge must manage the courtroom, rule on legal questions, protect the integrity of the process, and respect jurors’ time.
Courtroom Leadership
A Superior Court Judge must be prepared, patient, decisive, and fair.
A Record Built in the Courtroom
41 Years
in the Courtroom
as a Trial Attorney
33 Years
2018
Began Public Service
Jury Trials Presided Over
95+
20
Counties Served
Judge Jones’s record is not campaign rhetoric. It is the daily work of Superior Court: presiding over jury trials, conducting bench trials, deciding motions, reviewing case files, researching legal issues, drafting orders, managing dockets, working with court personnel, and remaining available for time-sensitive judicial responsibilities.
His service has included criminal and civil matters across a broad range of issues. Each case carries consequences for the people involved, and Judge Jones approaches that responsibility with preparation, patience, and respect for the law.
He believes a judge should arrive early, be prepared, start on time, listen carefully, treat people respectfully, and work until the job is done.
The Work Voters Don’t Always See
The public often sees the judge on the bench. Much of the work happens before and after court: reading briefs, reviewing case files, researching law, drafting orders, coordinating with court staff, managing courtroom logistics, and handling urgent judicial matters when they arise.
Judge Jones does not view the office as a 9-to-5 job. He views it as a position of trust.
Fair. Impartial. Prepared.
Judge Frank Jones’s approach to judging begins with the rule of law. A judge’s responsibility is not to chase popularity, favor one side, or decide cases based on politics or pressure. A judge’s responsibility is to apply the law fairly and impartially, with patience, humility, and respect for everyone before the court.
When the law is clear, Judge Jones follows it. When the law is unsettled, he approaches the question with common sense, reason, equity, fairness, and careful legal analysis.
He also believes that how a courtroom is conducted matters. A decision reached in a dignified proceeding by a prepared, respectful, and neutral judge strengthens public confidence in the judicial system.
3 Principles
Follow the Law
The law, not personal preference or public pressure, guides the decision.
Hear People Fully
Every person deserves dignity, courtesy, and a full and fair opportunity to be heard.
Lead by Example
A judge sets the tone for professionalism, respect, and order in the courtroom.
“I was elected to make correct decisions, not necessarily popular ones.”
