BY MIKE FUHRMAN

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Joseph Crosswhite has selected Statesville attorney Seth Johnson to serve as the chief public defender for the 32nd Judicial District.

“He’s a strong leader. He’s an expert lawyer,” Crosswhite said. “He’s exactly what we need in this position.”

The judge’s appointment followed the recommendation of the bar association for Iredell and Alexander counties, which met in December and considered five nominees.

“I am honored to have received the support and encouragement of my peers in seeking this position. I have always been primarily a defense lawyer,” Johnson said.

The N.C. General Assembly approved funding for the new Public Defenders Office for the 32nd Judicial District in the 2024-2025 budget. As the chief public defender, Johnson will manage an office of 12 assistant public defenders and an administrative staff.

A native of Iredell County, Johnson graduated from South Iredell High School and Appalachian State University. He earned his law degree at North Carolina Central University School of Law. His legal practice focused on criminal defense, workers’ compensation, and civil litigation. 

Johnson will wrap up his private practice before transitioning to his new position. He is optimistic about the impact the Public Defenders Office will have on the local judicial system.

“The biggest improvement I see is that the office will improve efficiency in the court system,” Johnson said. “Under the private assigned counsel model that we currently use, cases are assigned to private attorneys who accept appointments as a part of their overall practice. In addition to representing clients, they run and manage a business, including advertising, budgeting, technology, payroll, etc. and often represent clients in other areas of law.

“Public Defenders will have one task: representing clients in criminal and juvenile court,” he added. “This will naturally lead to cases getting resolved much more efficiently.”