By By JONATHAN CLAYBORNE
Staff Writer
Jonathan Jones, one of four people seeking the District Court seat in the 2nd Judicial District being vacated by retiring Judge Sam Grimes, said one of the things that sets him apart from his challengers is his varied professional background.
Jones said he was a private-practice attorney with a fairly large amount of civil-court business and some defense work before becoming a local assistant district attorney.
“I think having that experience allows you to see from both sides or gain the type of experience that helps you to be able to objectively view the cases that come in front of you, and have the experience to handle both criminal cases and civil cases,” the Washington resident said.
The assistant district attorney observed that he took an oath to seek justice.
“That entails viewing the case from the totality of the case and seeking the decisions to make sure as an assistant district attorney you are advancing justice,” he said.
In defining his qualifications for the bench, he underscored his work as a prosecutor.
“If you do not have the experience as a prosecutor from seeing the case from both sides, I believe, and making sure that the decisions you make and the causes that you’re advancing are for the cause of justice — I think it just gives you a whole different perspective on the process,” he said.
He said his temperament also holds him in good stead as he runs for a judicial seat.
“I think those that have worked with me as a prosecutor would say that I listen well, that I’m honest in my dealings with people and that my temperament is such that I don’t easily get upset, don’t fly off the handle, that I’d be able to listen to the cases that come in front of me and make decisions that are not based on a rash decision but to apply the law to the facts that come before me in a fair and impartial way,” Jones stated.
Responding to a question about a District Court judge’s duties, Jones said adjudicators at the district level preside over civil and criminal misdemeanor matters, including appeals of small-claims cases and cases involving amounts of under $15,000.
Some civil cases in District Court also might center around land or boundary disputes, depending on which court they’re filed in, according to Jones.
The District Court also hears child-support cases and resolves issues relating to the equitable distribution of property, he said.
Among the more specialized disputes the court doesn’t handle often are protective-services cases involving adults, such as those dealing with abuse and neglect of elders, Jones added.
“There are no jury trials in criminal District Court,” he said. “You have a right to appeal from District Court to Superior Court in all cases that are in District Court. The judge presides over the case and actually makes the findings of guilt or innocence in addition to the legal decision in the case.”
Also, all domestic cases, including divorce filings, are taken up in District Court, as well as juvenile cases, he said.
Jones, 40, agreed that he would be willing to stay on the District Court job until retirement, provided the voters elect and return him to that post.
“That would be my plan going in, would be to stay in this position if I have the privilege of being elected and re-elected,” he said.
He left open the possibility that circumstances could change down the road.
“You never can completely predict the future,” Jones said.
BOX:
Jonathan Jones
Age: 40.
Address: 524 W. Second St., Washington.
Occupation: Assistant district attorney.
Education: Graduated from Triton High School in Erwin; graduated with a bachelor-of-arts degree from Wake Forest University and a law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law.
Immediate family: Wife, Elizabeth Rawls Jones; two daughters.
How long a resident of Beaufort County: Has lived in Beaufort County for six years and three months.
Experience as an elected official: None.
Other relevant experience: Was a private-practice lawyer from August 1995 through January 2004, before becoming an assistant district attorney.
Last book read: “Pursuit of Holiness,” by Jerry Bridges.