Special to Iredell Free News

Melissa Stewart, who has worked as a magistrate in Alexander County since April, has announced her candidacy for District Court judge for Alexander and Iredell counties.

Stewart received her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with honors and graduated law school in 2015 with pro-bono honors, all while raising a family. She is the mother of three and a grandmother.

After moving to Taylorsville in 2019, she said she quickly fell in love with the town and its residents.

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Joseph Crosswhite appointed Stewart as the first attorney magistrate in Alexander County. She was sworn in on April 1, 2023.

Before her employment as a magistrate, she owned and operated her own law office, where she practiced in both state and federal courts. For more than six years, Stewart represented a variety of clients in bankruptcy court, civil court, juvenile court and criminal court.

When Stewart first began her practice, her office motto was “Because You Matter” and that remains her motto today, she explained.

“My years of experience representing the people, and my current role as a Magistrate Judge, provides me with the skills, experience and qualifications that are necessary to ensure that every person who enters my courtroom will be treated with respect and every case decided fairly and justly,” Stewart said. “Our judicial system can be, and should be, a place where all can seek justice.”