In a letter to colleagues and friends, Jerry Tillett, the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for the First Judicial District, announced he will retire on May 1, ending a career as a Superior Court Judge that spanned more than three decades.
In the letter, Judge Tillett wrote that it “has been my greatest honor and blessing to have served the people of our state working as a judge and with the legislature.” He added that “Much like Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken,’ the many ubiquitous events, courtroom vicissitudes and battle-forged relationships are indelibly etched upon my psyche and will be recalled frequently with fondness and melancholy.”
In light of his retirement, former District Attorney and current Superior Court Judge Andy Womble will become the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge. Governor Josh Stein will appoint Judge Tillett’s replacement.
Judge Tillett, a graduate of the Wake Forest School of Law, spent the early part of his career practicing Law and was elected to the NC House of Representatives. His bio notes that in 1993, he was appointed by the Governor as one of two special Superior Court Judges serving the State of North Carolina. Thereafter he was appointed Resident Superior Court Judge and has been elected to serve as Superior Court Judge for over 27 years, holding court in 80 of the state’s one 100 counties. Judge Tillett was also instrumental in establishing and has managed the Dare County Recovery Court.
In 2013, he was reprimanded by the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission for his involvement in a feud with the Kill Devil Hills Police Department.
Among other activities, he has been president of the local Bar Association and served on College of the Albemarle Board of Trustees, County Tourism Board, Farm Bureau Board and the Dare County Chamber of Commerce.
