George Guise

The Election Hub Questionnaire

Please share demographic information to help voters (your age, education, and where you live in NC now).

My name is George Guise.  I am 60 years old, and a graduate of Davidon College (1987) and Vanderbilt University School of Law (1990).  My wife Barbara and I have lived in Davidson for the past 31 years and raised our five children there.

Why are you running for this role, and why should voters pick you over your competitors? Please tell us about any previous experience in elected office that you have.

I’m running for Superior Court Judge because our state system of justice needs Judges with the breadth and depth of experience that I would bring to the bench, with a proven commitment over decades of service to the fundamental principles of due process and equal protection under the law, an untarnished reputation for honesty, integrity and fair dealing, and an unwavering commitment to the independence of the judicial branch.  I have never held elected office before.  I have been a state and federal prosecutor of the most serious and complex felony cases for more than a dozen years – with more than 50 felony jury trials – including with the Mecklenburg County District Attorney’s Office and then during the Obama administration with the US Department of Justice in the Western District of North Carolina in Charlotte.  I’ve been in private practice handling cases in both civil litigation and criminal defense – much of the latter being court-appointed indigent defense.  I’ve been General Counsel at Davidson College.

In my current role as In-house Counsel to the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, among other responsibilities, I manage the agency’s civil litigation which is significant both in term of volume and in terms of complexity:  ranging from employment law matters to contract disputes, administrative code enforcement, personal injury and even civil rights cases – much of which can and does end up in Superior Court.  Further in my role as Counsel to MCSO, I serve as a member of Mecklenburg County’s Key Court Officials, and on the Executive Committees for Mecklenburg County Courthouse Security and the Criminal Justice Advisory Group.  I have served multiple terms on the Board of Directors and am the immediate Past President of the North Carolina Association of Police and Sheriffs’ Attorneys (NCAPSA), an organization dedicated to providing resources, education and support to Law Enforcement Agency attorneys across the State.  And I have served on the Legal Affairs Committee of the National Sheriffs’ Association for the past six years.

My commitment to the citizens of Mecklenburg County and our justice system here includes service as a pro-bono attorney with Legal Aid of NC – and recognition as volunteer lawyer of the year for Mecklenburg County when I was representing so many victims of domestic violence, and families who were being threatened with eviction and homelessness, that we decided to establish a Legal Aid Clinic at the Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson.  I’ve taught classes on Poverty Law and Social Justice for multiple semesters at Davidson College.  I lecture annually to the Constitutional Law Class in the Honors Program at UNCC.  I’m a 15+ year volunteer Judge with the Teen Court Program run by Lift Up Carolinas – an amazingly successful Juvenile Justice Diversion Program with a significantly lower recidivism rate than our youth who go through the Juvenile Justice Court System.  I’ve served on the Boards of Directors of Legal Services of Southern Piedmont and the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy – organizations committed, as am I, to ensuring access to justice for those members of our community who routinely struggle to find that access on their own.

Tell us about 1-2 professional accomplishments that gives voters a sense of your leadership style or skills.

1. Hard to pick from the hundreds of violent felony cases that I prosecuted over the years, or the dozens that I tried, including murder, sex offenses, felony assaults, armed robbery, burglary, drug trafficking and – on the federal side – gang-related offenses, international drug trafficking conspiracies, extortion and money laundering.  I am proud of what my commitment to public safety, and advocacy for victims and their families over decades of service, says about who I am and my commitment to justice.

2.  In a civil lawsuit that my client (the Sheriff’s Office - MCSO) recently resolved, I am proud of how we handled what I came to realize (and helped my client to realize) was an inadvertent lack of appropriate policy and procedure on the agency’s part.  “Jane” was arrested by local authorities and brought to the detention center operated by MCSO.  Jane is a Muslim woman who was wearing a hijab covering her head and parts of her face, in furtherance of her sincerely held religious beliefs.  MCSO personnel, with the best of intentions and no policy instructing otherwise, had Jane remove her hijab to be photographed and then posted that photograph on the agency’s website for the public to see.  As her lawsuit suggested, the posting of Jane’s photograph without her hijab may have violated a federal civil rights act regarding religious freedoms for persons in custody.  In resolving the matter, I was able to draft a new policy for MCSO that prohibits the publishing of mugshots of individuals not wearing religious headwear should doing so dishonor their sincerely held religious beliefs, and further to allow for the wearing of religious headwear while in custody – subject to necessary and appropriately conducted searches.  Justice was ultimately well-served in Jane’s case.

What endorsements from any notable NC organizations or individuals have you received?

I am unaware of any organizational endorsements yet announced in my race.  I am proud of the endorsements of a number of civic leaders like both Democratic Mayors of the municipalities in Judicial District 26C:  Christy Clark of Huntersville and Rusty Knox of Davidson.  But most meaningfully, I believe, are the multitude of endorsements of lawyers in Mecklenburg County whom I have worked with in our justice system – some as colleagues, others on opposite sides of an issue or case – that signify my reputation not only in terms of my knowledge of the law, but also in terms of integrity, fairness, honesty and an unbiased commitment to ensuring justice is served.  Career prosecutors in Mecklenburg County as well as the Public Defender and leadership in the criminal defense bar all endorse me.  Anne Tompkins, the former US Attorney and chief federal prosecutor for the Western District of North Carolina, and Claire Rauscher, the former Federal Public Defender in the District, both endorse me.  Lawyers who work on opposite sides, especially adversaries in the criminal justice arena, do not often see eye to eye.  I am proud of what these endorsements say about my reputation and my qualifications for the job.  Finally, every Superior Court Judge in Mecklenburg County who can endorse a candidate in my election endorses me (only Judges who are candidates in their own races can endorse others).  This includes Hon. Karen Eady-Williams and Hon. George Bell.  Superior Court Judge-to-be, Hon. Elizabeth Trosch, also endorses me.

How long have you lived in the region you are looking to represent in office?

My wife, Barbara, and I have lived in District 26C – all in Davidson – for the past 31 years, and raised our five children there.

Please tell us something unexpected about you that voters may be interested in knowing.

From high school through college, law school and for a little while thereafter, I was a part-time, semi-pro keyboard player accompanying various friends and more serious musicians, including the almost world famous Blue Dogs, of local indie-alt-country renown.  Check out our 1991 cult classic “Music for Dog People!”