Current District Court Judges in Cumberland County

• All ten of Cumberland County’s District Court Judges, who are elected on a county-wide basis, are Democrats.
• Seven out of ten of our District Court Judges are women.
• Our District Court Judges, listed below, are elected to four-year terms:
  • Cheri Siler-Mack (term ends in 2026)
  • Rosalyn Hood (term ends in 2026)
  • Frances McDuffie (term ends in 2026)
  • Tracey Henderson (term ends in 2026)
  • David Hasty (term ends in 2026)
  • Cullen Jordan (term ends in 2028)
  • Lou Olivera (term ends in 2028)
  • Toni King (term ends in 2026)
  • Caitlin Evans (term ends in 2026)
  • Tiffany Whitfield (term ends in 2028)

District Court Judges hear misdemeanor criminal matters, traffic tickets, domestic and divorce cases, juvenile cases, and civil matters where the amount in controversy is less than $25,000, among other matters.

Current Superior Court Judges in Cumberland County

• District 12A – Stephen Stokes – Democrat (term ends in 2026)
• District 12B – Gale Adams – Democrat (term ends in 2028)
• District 12C – James “Jim” Ammons, Jr. – Unaffiliated (term ends in 2026)
• District 12C – George “Robby” Hicks – Republican (Term ends in 2030).

Superior Court Judges have “exclusive, original jurisdiction over all criminal actions not assigned to the district court.” They also hear civil matters with an amount in controversy exceeding $25,000, as well as other complex matters.

District Attorney and Other Offices

• Billy West, our long time District Attorney, whose office represents the State of North Carolina in criminal matters, is a Democrat.
• Andra Brewington, our Register of Deeds, is a Democrat.
• Lisa Scales, our Clerk of Superior Court, is a Democrat.
• Ennis Wright, our County Sheriff, is a Democrat. Sheriff Wright recently announced his retirement.

The Richardson Firm: Built to Serve Fayetteville’s Legal Needs

Attorneys Matt and Billy Richardson decided to stay in their hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and they built a law firm to serve the needs of their community. They believe that every individual should have a right to a great attorney. If you have a legal problem in Fayetteville, they will do their best to help you.

In addition to founding the firm, Billy Richardson served multiple terms in the North Carolina House of Representatives.

Specifically, Matt and Billy Richardson and Patrick Anstead represent the citizens of Fayetteville and Southeastern, North Carolina in civil matters, including:

• Personal Injury
• Medical Malpractice
• Auto Accidents
• Wrongful Death
• Eminent Domain and Property Law
• Insurance Disputes
• Civil Rights Violations
  

Family Law and Divorce in Fayetteville

The Richardson Firm has maintained a family law and divorce practice in Fayetteville for several years, helping spouses and family members navigate the complex and intimidating system that governs domestic relations in the State of North Carolina.

In 2023, Attorney Melinda Flinn joined our law firm as a domestic attorney. Melinda has been practicing family law in Cumberland County for over twenty years, and she has gained a reputation as a steady and courageous advocate. She routinely appears in front of many of the District Court Judges who hear domestic cases. Specifically, she serves the residents of Fayetteville and Cumberland County in the following areas:

• Child custody and visitation
• Child support
• Alimony
• Equitable Distribution (Property and debt division)
• Divorce
• Annulment
• Separation agreements
• Contempt
• Termination of parental rights
• Adoption
• Collaborative Law
  • Melinda has trained and participated in the Collaborative Law aspect of family law as an alternative to litigation.

Fort Bragg Traffic Tickets and DWI

Residents of Fayetteville and Fort Bragg who are charged with a traffic offense on federal land will be ordered to appear to answer the charges in federal court. While there are numerous attorneys practicing traffic law in Fayetteville, there are few who are licensed to practice in Federal Court. Seeing this need, Attorney Patrick Anstead has developed a robust defense practice. Patrick routinely appears in federal court on behalf of military and non-military residents who receive traffic tickets and DUI/DWI charges on Fort Bragg.

Keep in mind, our firm can also assist you in county court for routine traffic offenses that occur outside of Fort Bragg. If you get a traffic ticket in Cumberland County, give us a call. We can often help.

Criminal Charges in Fayetteville

Attorney Patrick Anstead routinely represents individuals charged with traffic, misdemeanor, and felony offenses in District and Superior Court. If you are charged with a criminal offense, a conviction could have a lasting and detrimental impact on your future. Do not go unrepresented. Get an attorney with the experience and the knowledge of Fayetteville’s court system.

The Richardson Firm: Local Attorneys for Local Problems

If you live in Fayetteville or Cumberland County, and you’re in need of an attorney, call us at 910-488-5050. If we are not able to assist with your specific issue, we can use our knowledge of the Fayetteville area to get you pointed in the right direction.

The court system in Fayetteville and Cumberland County is about to undergo a massive change. Paper files and court documents will soon be a thing of the past. Computers will take their place. On October 14, the entire court system in Cumberland County will go digital.

This change has pros and cons for the average citizen:

The Portal: Greater Access for the Public

Instead of making a trip to the Cumberland County Courthouse and waiting in line for help, the citizens of Cumberland County will be able to access and view legal filings online. The new PORTAL system will allow anyone to search public court documents and make payments, as long as they have an internet connection.

Efile: File Court Documents from Anywhere

All court filings in Cumberland County will be electronic. To file a document into a court file, everyone will use the new Efile system.

The Problem: New Systems Take Time

It is not easy to overhaul a system that has run on paper documents for decades. In addition, some courtrooms in Cumberland County, especially those dealing with domestic, criminal and traffic cases, process hundreds of cases daily. New computers have been installed in these Fayetteville courtrooms to assist with the change, but there will be a learning curve for the Assistant District Attorneys and the clerks as they get up to speed. You can expect to see increased wait times in Cumberland County courtrooms for the next several months.

The Solution: Our Local Law Firm

Attorneys Patrick Anstead and Melinda Flinn make appearances in courtrooms in Cumberland County on a weekly basis. They have been trained in the new eCourts software and will ensure your case receives the priority it deserves. If you have a divorce, traffic, or criminal case in Cumberland County in the next several months, hiring one of our attorneys could save you a great deal of time.