Public defender Jennifer Wells appointed to District Court judgeship, replacing retired Judge Edgar Barnes
Jennifer Wells of Kitty Hawk, an assistant public defense attorney in northeastern North Carolina, has been appointed by Gov. Josh Stein to serve as District Court judge through next year.
Wells will fill the vacancy left when Judge Edgar Barnes retired last month after 28 years on the bench.
She has worked since 2014 as a public defender in the First Judicial District, which includes Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank, and Perquimans counties, and was assigned to Dare County.
Wells led balloting by the First Judicial District Bar for their nomination that was submitted to the governor.
She was one of two new judges that were appointed by the governor on Thursday, with Cameron “Chip” Harrison apppointed to the District Court for Judicial District 38, serving Gaston County.
“Given their experience and record as public defenders, I am proud to appoint Jennifer and Cameron to the District Courts,” said Gov. Stein. “They will be fair and hard-working jurists, and I look forward to their service.”
A graduate of Campbell University School of Law and Tulane University, Wells will serve on the bench through at least 2026.
The current term expires in 2028, but under state law a special election will be held for the final two years at the next general election, which is in November 2026.
Assistant District Attorney and former three term Perquimans County commissioner Kyle Jones has already announced he intends to run for the Republican nomination next year.
